Transcending the Nine Heavens

Chu Yang went for the wise choice of avoiding the issue altogether. He figured that he might end-up offending someone if he didn’t avoid it.

Tie Bu Tian didn’t speak for a long time. She merely continued to laugh gently. There was an unpredictable meaning hidden in her laughter. She spoke, "Minister Chu, Miss Qian Qian is passionately devoted to you... aren’t you the least bit interested?"

Chu Yang pondered for a long time. Then, he smiled bitterly.

He then replied in a resolute manner, "Your Majesty, I don’t wish to repeat myself on this issue. You and I are the same. We are men. A man can’t shirk his responsibility. You have a responsibility to walk the road of an Emperor. And, I have the responsibility to walk the path of a young man!"

"Qian Qian is pretty. Her skills and insight are profound. She possesses an unmatched style and elegance. I would be an idiot if I said that I’m not tempted. It’s impossible for a man to not get attracted to her. I won’t deny this fact. But... just because I’m tempted doesn’t mean that I should be unfaithful to the one who loves me, right?"

Chu Yang forced a smile and said, "I’ll let the time erase everything."

He paused, and then continued, "Your Majesty, you’re a man as well. You should understand my point of view."

Tie Bu Tian remained silent for a long while. Then, she smiled bitterly, and replied with a sigh, "I’m also a man ah..."

Chu Yang frowned; [I sense some emotions in Tie Bu Tian’s words. It’s like a mixture of helplessness and melancholy. Does he also have an unrequited love for a girl?]

Suddenly, something clicked in Chu Yang’s heart, and he understood who it might be. [It seems like Tie Bu Tian likes Wu Qian Qian, but Wu Qian Qian likes me... yes, yes, this has to be the case.]

The two shadows wanted to plug their ears. They no longer wanted to listen to Chu Yang’s talks. They had listened to this guy say ‘you’re a man as well’ followed by ‘should understand me’... they had thought that it was quite funny, but also very sad.

[Yes, you’re a man. And, being responsible is a good and virtuous thing. However... do you know how many people you’ve hurt? Do you even know that you’ve hurt a person just now? You don’t know that the man you’re sincerely confiding in... is actually a woman ah! Moreover, do you even know that it’s a pitiful woman who is infatuated with you? Do you know that she has sacrificed everything for you... but, can’t ask anything in return?]

[You may never find out until you die... that there has been such a woman in your life! The woman who lost her virginity for you, and sacrificed her future prospects in martial arts. She doesn’t have much left in the world because of you. But, you only treat her as a ‘brother’; as a ‘friend’.]

[Isn’t that cruel? But then, it can’t be helped...]

"Let the time erase everything..." Tie Bu Tian lowered her head, and repeated this sentence. She deeply sighed in her heart, [time can erase everything. This saying is indeed correct. But, the one thing that even a long passage of time can’t erase is... one’s first temptation... the first love!]

[Moreover, a love like this demands sacrifice with no complaints and regrets!]

[Wu Qian Qian will be fine. But, as far as I’m concerned... will I ever be able to forget what happened this time? Perhaps I won’t forget about this even after a hundred years... when I’ll be old with gray hair, and spots. It will be even more unlikely for me to forget this man who came in my life like a shooting star and brightened my world!]

[The person with whom I fell in love... but, am doomed to never get together with...!]

"The autumn breeze and the setting sun indicate the sky’s desire for twilight. Many things have changed, and these changes-alone will remain from now on. A hero who fails to live up to the expectations can only sigh often. And, a girl’s heart always experiences innumerable twists and turns!" Tie Bu Tian looked the Sun as it proceeded to set in the western sky. It was gradually lowering to meet the earth. It was about to get dusky outside. She couldn’t help but sigh softly. She felt a bit emotional in this moment.

She couldn’t help but heave low sighs once she was done reciting this. She was experiencing an infinite sense of loss.

Chu Yang assumed that Tie Bu Tian was talking about Wu Qian Qian. So, he went silent for a while. One could only hear the two shadows sighing again and again as they drove the carriages in this silence. Their sighs were filled with sorrow and helplessness. They felt sad for her misfortune, and were angry at her unwillingness to struggle.

These two had seen this poor little girl suffer since childhood. So, it was even more painful for them to watch her like this...

[Oh heaven...! Please open your eyes and give happiness to this poor girl. Even a little bit of happiness will do. A little bit of comfort is also fine! We don’t ask for a lot. Only a little bit of comfort... can’t she have even that much?]

[She has been burdened with so much weight all her life. She bears the noble blood, and is the only heir to the throne. But... she has never obtained the slightest of happiness in her life! She has never smiled from the bottom of her heart...]

[Not even once...]

Tie Bu Tian curled-up in her carriage. She found it harder and harder to endure the pain in the wake of this sudden silence. She felt as if her lower abdomen was being ripped apart. She clenched her teeth to bear the pain. Her body trembled as she tried her best prevent herself from making any sounds. Beads of sweat oozed-out from her forehead, and rolled down...

The shadow driving her carriage sighed and said, "Minister Chu, your injury couldn’t be called a fatal one, but it was certainly the type of injury which is very difficult to recover from. But, you were able to wake up in such a short time. And, that too in a recovered state of health...! You ought to have some elixirs with you, right?"

He didn’t want to ask Chu Yang. But, the medicines the two shadows carried wouldn’t be of much use in treating Tie Bu Tian’s condition. He couldn’t endure to watch Tie Bu Tian in so much pain. He had finally lost his patience, and so he had asked Chu Yang for help.

[Considering Chu Yang’s recovery speed... there should be some elixirs in his possession.]

"Well, I do have some elixirs. Though, not many... But, their effects won’t be very satisfactory." Chu Yang didn’t know why he was asked this question. So, he replied cautiously.

"His Majesty has suffered a heavy injury while saving you. And, we’ve already used our medicines..." the shadow explained after a moment of silence.

Chu Yang heard that, and suddenly recalled Tie Bu Tian’s unnatural posture as well as his pale complexion from before. He realized that Iron Cloud’s Emperor had nearly given up his entire country in order to come to his rescue. How could this not touch his heart?

He asked, "What kind of an injury has His Majesty suffered?"

"Internal injury," the shadow replied.

"So, it’s an internal injury. That should be easy to deal with." Chu Yang nodded. [I only have the Nine Tribulations Pills on my body. I have no other medicines right now.] He thought for a while, and then took out an incomplete version of the Nine Tribulations Pill. He then said, "Your Majesty, why don’t you try this medicine of mine?"

"Alright," Tie Bu Tian was in a lot of pain, and she couldn’t do anything about it. So, she merely complied in a muffled voice, and took the medicine. She didn’t even see its appearance as she straightaway gulped it down.

The ‘Nine Tribulations Pill’ was the world’s best medicine. How could its effects be comparable to some average medicine? This pill was an incomplete version of the Nine Tribulations Pill. However, its medicinal efficacy was second only to the complete version of the Nine Tribulations Pill!

Tie Bu Tian took the pill, and the medicine entered her body. She felt as if a cool thread had slipped down her throat, and into her stomach. A cold sensation spread throughout her body through her meridians. And then, her entire body warmed up with a ‘bang’.

An abundant amount of medicinal efficacies spread inside her body in a flash, and began to treat her injuries. The bleeding ‘down there’ stopped, and the pain completely vanished. Moreover, the wound also started to heal. Even her vitality was suddenly restored.

The surplus medicinal efficacies slowly melted into her meridians, and even nourished her body a little... the many years of accumulated wear-and-tear was also healed by this medicine. Moreover, this medicine didn’t just affect her physical condition — her mental state had climbed to the peak in the blink of an eye. And then, it was maintained at that level...

"What is this medicine? How’s it so magical?" Tie Bu Tian was astonished. The effect of this wonder drug was truly dream-like.

Then, he sat up and inspected his entire body. But, he found nothing wrong anywhere. His entire body was very relaxed and at ease. He was pleasantly surprised by this.

"This medicine was given to me by some stranger. I don’t know its name," Chu Yang replied in a soft voice. He thought, [Tie Bu Tian doesn’t seem to be in a good health. Moreover, we are surrounded by the chaos of war. The experts of Diwu Qing Rou’s Golden Horse Riders Department have arrived at the frontlines.]

[Tie Bu Tian is their main target. There can be an assassination attempt on him at any time. It will be very hard to prevent it if-and-when it happens. And, it would be extremely terrible if I weren’t by his side when it happens....]

Therefore, he took out a piece of purple jade from the Nine Tribulations Space, and carved it with the help of the Nine Tribulations Sword to make a jade bottle. He hesitated for a moment... but then, he finally took out a complete Nine Tribulations Pill and put it into the jade bottle.

[There are a total of three complete versions of the Nine Tribulations Pill. I will be left with two after I give one to Tie Bu Tian. Two should be enough.] Chu Yang said in his heart, [I didn’t have one at your Imperial Father’s time. In fact, I probably wouldn’t have taken it out even if I had one. So now, I’ll give you one to make it up to you.]

Then, he raised his voice and said, "Your majesty, I have a gift for you. I’m coming over to give it you."

He didn’t wait for Tie Bu Tian’s reply, jumped-off his carriage, and climbed on Tie Bu Tian’s carriage.

The two shadows didn’t stop Chu Yang either. They allowed him do whatever he wanted to. Their stand was very clear, [no matter what Chu Yang gives her as a gift — it is bound to make Tie Bu Tian happy. She will finally become happy after such a long time.]

[This gift is very important!]

Chu Yang didn’t know this though.

Tie Bu Tian was obviously startled by this. She stared at him for moment. Then, she spoke in a stammering manner, "What... what gift?"

Chu Yang smelled a strange sweet smell as soon as he entered the carriage. It was similar to the fragrance of orchid. He chucked in his heart, [this young Emperor is really juvenile ah... he has brought perfume with himself even in these circumstances...]

"It’s this," Chu Yang turned over his wrist and revealed a finger-size purple jade bottle. A bean-sized pill quietly lay inside it. The purple jade bottle was covered with a mysterious and dense light, and it seemed like the twinkling starlight. It seemed as if there was a universe inside that purple jade bottle.

"What’s this?" Tie Bu Tian was somewhat caught off-guard by it. But then, he stabilized his mind and asked.

Chu Yang lowered his voice and spoke in a serious tone, "This is a miraculous and precious medicine. It can save your life under any circumstances! It can instantly restore you back to normal if you’re injured as long as your body isn’t divided into parts... as long as there’s even a single breath remaining in your body!"

"Eh?" Tie Bu Tian’s jaw suddenly dropped.

"As long as there is warmth in your body — this precious medicine can make you live... even if there is no breath remaining in your body! In fact, it can prolong your life by 30 years even if you have reached the end of your lifespan!"

Chu Yang solemnly said, "It will keep Your Majesty safe. We are friends. We treat each other with utmost sincerity. I’m afraid I must leave when the war is over. So, I want to leave this medicine with Your Majesty. I hope that Your Majesty may never have to use it. So, just treat it as a gift from a well-wisher."