Transcending the Nine Heavens

“Excuse me for my lack of manners! Uhhh… I understand…” Chu Yang was full of embarrassment as he quickly changed his response.

Shi Jing grumbled a little more, scowling and glaring at him before quietening down at last.

Everyone tried to hold their laughter in but there were still those whose shoulders trembled with contained laughter. Being on an equal level of seniority with each other, they could not help but take delight in this old coot’s despondency.

“This is Ling Fengyun, the Elder Master of the Ling Clan!” Ye Di continued his introduction

“Excuse m-ssss… I understand.” Chu Yang almost blurted out ‘Excuse me for my lack of manners’ again. He changed his speech hastily mid-way but the end consonant remained despite his efforts, leading to a flurry of sniggers yet again.

“Hahahaha…” No one dared to laugh out loud but the little girl next to Chu Yang burst into laughter all of a sudden.

The crisp laughter came out of absolutely nowhere. It was most definitely a masterstroke of genius.

Everyone was startled at first, then chortled all at once, swaying to and fro from laughter. Even the Dharma Supreme who was usually stern and indifferent could not help but guffaw.

Shi Jing immediately turned purple then red, and then purple again. However, even the Dharma Supreme was laughing too, so there was no way he would dare to flare up.

He got onto his seat hatefully with a thump, crushing the chair thoroughly. Then he zoomed out of the room like the wind and brought another chair back in.

With Chu Le’er’s intelligence, how would she not be able to read the situation?

So this burst of laughter from her, seemingly an act of childlike innocence to anyone looking on, was in truth a calculated move.

Chu Yang was naturally aware of this.

However, Chu Yang’s control of his behavior was excellent. Everyone else was laughing but he could not, so he kept a tense and straight face.

Ye Di’s laughter lasted a while before he continued to introduce the others to Chu Yang. As he went on, tension within the hall rose by the moment.

At last, the introductions were complete.

The atmosphere got solemn all at once.

Ye Di was the one to break the silence first. “Chu Yang, you should know why we have summoned you here today.”

Chu Yang sighed. “It’s about what happened last night?”

“It’s good that you understand!” Ye Di said ominously, “Last night, the Nine Super Clans were in utter chaos because of you. You have to give us an explanation regarding this matter!”

“Explanation?!” Chu Yang was at a loss. “Explain what?”

“Explain what, you say?” Xiao Se banged the table and said furiously, “Hundreds of Martial Saints died an untimely death just because of what you said! More than seven to eight Supreme Martial Artists’ souls shattered because of what you said! Explain what, you say, huh?!”

Chu Yang cried out in extreme injustice, “But what has this got to do with me… I was… wholeheartedly trying to help a friend…”

All the Supreme Martial Artists looked at Chu Yang with a murderous gaze at once.

Wholeheartedly helping a friend? Did one friggin’ help a friend all the way to hell? Did anyone help others out the same way as him?

“Ye Shifeng went to you to buy intel, right?” Ye Di said, restraining his anger.

“Indeed!” Chu Yang did not deny it.

“Yè Mengse went to you to buy intel too, right?” Yè Qingchou asked.

“This is true too.” Chu Yang nodded.

“Ling Quanshui went to you to buy intel as well, right?” Ling Fengyun asked.

“So his name was Ling Quanshui. Yes, someone from the Ling Clan did approach me.” Chu Yang said as if to ask for credit, “And on the account of Ling Second Master of the Ling Clan, I helped him out a bunch.”

Ling Fengyun huffed in anger and glowered at him, then stopped speaking.

Friggin’ hell, next time there’s such trouble, you’d better go help others instead. Our Ling Clan cannot afford to be helped by you…

“You sold intel to our Shi Clan too, right?” Shi Jing asked.

“Elder Shi, that’s an inaccurate statement. They were the ones who came to me to purchase, not me taking the initiative to sell!” Chu Yang explained, “This involves an issue of whether one is active or passive. We have to be clear at this point.”

Shi Jing flew into a rage.

The Dharma Supreme cast a cold look at him. Shi Jing took his seat in an aggrieved manner.

“In the Nine Super Clans, you conspired with Lan Changge and sold to the Ye Clan, Xiao Clan, Shi Clan, Ling Clan and Yè Clan! Is this true?” Ye Di asked solemnly.

“Yes.” Chu Yang did not beat about the bush.

“Which is to say, you admit to making trouble from within?” Ye Di snorted coldly.

“That is incorrect! I would never make any trouble from within.” Chu Yang took a look at him and then the others. He said candidly, “At this point now, I will be frank with you. Coming from the perspective of all the elders here, do I possess the ability to make trouble? Or should I say, the level of skill to not be afraid of people coming for me after making trouble?”

All the Supreme Martial Artists frowned.

This fellow didn’t, indeed! This was someone who could easily be killed with a casual breath. On what basis would he dare to make trouble?

“Besides, if I had the intention to generate conflict, then in this situation, surely there would have to be something in it for me to walk a tightrope. And even if you Nine Super Clans were to fight to the death, what do I have to gain from that?”

Chu Yang seemed to have thrown caution to the wind, every word of his painfully blunt and direct.

“Then why did you do such a thing?” Ye Di asked gravely.

“I’m about to explain!” Chu Yang looked at him, upright and unafraid. He said resoundingly, “I will recount everything, from beginning to end, according to the truth and without missing any detail! After that, I can release my guard and, under the risk of damage to my spirit, undergo the Dharma Supreme’s soul-searching interrogation! To verify whether my words are truthful, and to prove my innocence!”

Brimming with righteousness, Chu Yang’s voice was powerful and resonating!

His body contained a Sword Spirit. No matter who searched his soul, it would be fine as long as the Sword Spirit simulated a similar memory. He would not be injured at all, much less as serious as what he had said!

But his words visibly swayed the supreme masters!

Soul-searching!

To bring up soul-searching by his own initiative!

How honorable must his heart be in order to do so!

Chu Yang’s words also verified his identity: Pharmacist from the South-east region. He must have seen Han Xiaoran use the Soul-searching skill before?

“Go on.” Ye Di’s eyes flashed a little.

“That day, after I examined Angel Wu’s injuries and went to Jiaxiu building, the Lan Clan young master, Lan Changge, approached me. He said that he wanted to help me to get rich, help me to get a beautiful wife, help me to make a name for myself, and help me to awe the world with my formidable self!”

Chu Yang unequivocally exposed Lan Changge’s ploy with each and every single word, including comparing tea to life with Lan Changge at that time. The way everything was said, the facial expressions used, the conditions promised — everything was narrated with maximum detail.

As he narrated, two people’s faces changed at once.

One was Ye Di and the other, Lan Muxue.

Ye Di looked at Lan Muxue hatefully and spat out angrily. “The great deeds of you, Lan Clan!”

Following which, he asked Chu Yang, “Since you had already reached an agreement with Lan Changge and took the benefits that the Lan Clan had offered you, why did you suddenly change your mind?”

Chu Yang sighed. “At that time, I was overcome by burning enthusiasm from what he said. The thought of what an honor it would be to be able to change the fate of the Nine Heavens by my own strength… and so blood rushed to my brain and I agreed to it. But after I left the Lan Clan and walked the path back home, I became more and more afraid.”

“Afraid?” Ye Di’s eyes flickered.

“Yes. What did I, Chu Yang, amount to? To put it nicely, I’m a pharmacist of the South-east law-enforcement officer, but I do not have any forces behind me! Even within the South-east law-enforcement officers, my position does not hold any weight. If I were to die, the south-east can simply replace me with another pharmacist.”

“On what basis can I collaborate with a monstrous force such as the Lan Clan? And the one we were setting up was the Ye Clan that ranked number one within the Nine Super Clans no less! Was the disciple of the Supreme Martial Artists Feng and Yue, one of such a venerable status, someone whom I could even hope to make connections with?”

“No matter who I offend amongst these three parties, I would die a terrible death! But if I didn’t do it, the Lan Clan would be the first to kill me…” Chu Yang’s brows were furrowed, his face filled with grief and indignation. “So I’ve been very troubled!”

“Besides, in the event of success, Lan Changge was hidden in the dark from beginning to end, never once revealing himself. In that case, all the danger would be directed at me and me alone, plus it was impossible for the Lan Clan to ever seek justice for me.”

“To put it simply, I am a target to be used, a scapegoat! The kind used to shoulder the blame in place of someone else at the critical moment.”

Chu Yang said candidly.

“Looks like you’re not dumb either,” Lan Muxue said coldly, “To actually be aware of what kind of standard you are of.”

“It’s not that I’m not dumb, but that you Lan Clan think too highly of yourself!” Chu Yang stated unceremoniously.

Lan Muxue flew into a rage.

However, Chu Yang paid him no heed, continuing to narrate, “But at that time, if I were to pull out, I would be silenced by the Lan Clan immediately! So I could only continue with it for the sake of my own survival. Those few days, I stifled myself in the Orchard Palace and for a few days, did not even take a step out. I was constantly considering the danger in the plan. The more I thought about it, the more afraid I was.”

“Finally, that day, Brother Ye, Ye Shifeng, came to look for me. To say something unrelated here, I do not have a good impression of Ye Shifeng, because he had sent assassins after me previously.” Chu Yang was as frank as ever.

Ye Di nodded slightly.

He had investigated this matter before.

Naturally, he was aware that everything Chu Yang was saying right now was the truth.

“Even though I had a bad impression of him, when he went over that day, I was nonetheless overjoyed but also conflicted at the same time.” When Chu Yang narrated to this point, even the Dharma Supreme nodded.

It would be strange not to feel conflicted in such a situation.

“Ye Shifeng went over and with great enthusiasm, I tried to urge him to stay at my place to drink and dispel our old differences. If he were willing to stay, I would have told him. If not, I had no choice either. But what was fortunate was that he chose to stay.”

“After that, Ye Shifeng gifted me a piece of Spirit Jade Ginseng and requested that I tell him a piece of information — when the Lan Clan intended to make its move!” Chu Yang dug out a piece of Spirit Jade Ginseng from his bosom and placed it before himself. “I would like to request that Lord Ye Di take it back!”

“I’m aware. Since it’s yours, you can keep it.” In front of so many people, how could Ye Di take back what had already been given away? “Continue to speak.”

“Yes,” Chu Yang answered and stored the Spirit Jade Ginseng away once more. “At that time, when I heard what Ye Shifeng said, I was shocked. So the Ye Clan was aware of the Lan Clan’s plans long ago! Good thing I was cautious, otherwise I would really be scammed to death by Lan Changge.”

Now it’s Lan Changge who’s scammed to death by you!

All the Supreme Martial Artists covertly thought.

Yet at the same time, they could not help but sigh. They were really dumbfounded by the curious coincidences at work here.