Yun Yang responded with a slight smile. "Even once is considered one too many times to have this Tea of the Nine Supremes consumed by the Nine Supremes, so there is really no need for a tea farmer like you to exist any longer. Since the tea farmer will cease to exist, n.o.body else will be able to make this tea. Is this what you mean, Mr. Nian?"
He heaved a sigh of disappointment. "Come to think of it, this poor tea farmer has thoroughly exerted himself. The many years of hard work consumed in a single sip, and he will be void of a purpose… a terrible pity, indeed. These circ.u.mstances made me think of slaves as part of a big family… trying their very best to win favors, yet they fail to get their master"s affections. A fate like that is unspeakably tragic."
Mr. Nian simply shook his head. "Oh well, I"ve tried — I can"t seem to enrage you."
"Likewise. Mr. Nian, your self-restraint is strong. This humble one is equally impressed."
"If that"s the case, let"s just talk about the real reason why we"re here. I"ve been beating around the bush my entire life, but in contrast, now, I prefer getting straight to the point."
"I"ve never enjoyed beating around the bush," Yun Yang replied.
Ji Lingxi, who was listening to their conversation from a corner, was dumbfounded.
All this while, you both have been jabbing at each other in a roundabout way, leaving me completely clueless, and now you both actually agreed to not beat around the bush…
I am completely appalled at your level of shamelessness!
With such thick hides, you might as well ascend to the heavens already!
The two of them sat facing each other, the air around them diffused with the tea"s fragrant aroma. They were wearing gentle smiles on their faces as they sat with a dignified demeanor, their expressions relaxed.
If Ji Lingxi was not aware of the complicated blood feud between those two, she would have thought that they were a pair of best friends having a casual banter over some tea.
"The Four Seasons Tower is above worldly desires. Since thousands of years ago, they were at the top of the world, unrivaled, second-to-none," Yun Yang began. "In fact, before Tianxuan Cliff back then, we, the brotherhood of the Nine Supremes, had heard of the Four Seasons Tower, and we truly admired and respected them - a lot more than the so-called School of the Kismet State. Both of them could not be similarly compared."
"To us back then, the Four Seasons Tower"s renowned power and incredible strength in Tianxuan was an ambition we desired for ourselves."
Yun Yang let out a gentle sigh. "However… this was something that had never crossed our minds — that the Four Seasons Tower was the one who had placed a kill order on us, that the Four Seasons Tower was the one who ruthlessly executed the kill. Until now, even when I"ve already fought through most of Four Seasons Tower"s ranks, I still don"t understand why we stand here, face-to-face on opposing ends, in such an irreconcilable manner!"
He raised his head and looked at Mr. Nian, smiling, "Perhaps you can answer my doubts, Mr. Nian?"
The expression upon Mr. Nian"s face did not s.h.i.+ft one bit. He gently blew on the foam on his tea. "Are there any more questions, Lord Supreme Cloud? Do shoot all of them out, this reputed one shall try my best to answer them."
"Of course there are. I survived the tragedy of that fateful day, and have since rolled out my plans of revenge. However, as I was executing my revenge, just as I was feeling elated and proud of myself from finding the Four Seasons Tower"s men from throngs of people after days of painstaking lookouts, meticulous planning, and laborious research, at the same moment, I was worried that the Four Seasons Tower"s retribution might arrive anytime."
"However, even until I got rid of the Four Seasons Tower"s Supreme Lord Spring Frost, I still have yet to encounter a real form of revenge by the Four Seasons Tower."
"In the process of dealing with the forces of the Four Seasons Tower, I can say that many men were deployed by the Four Seasons Tower, ranked from the lowest to highest levels respectively. However, in terms of whether or not they were a threat to me… they weren"t at all. It was this very reason that caused my suspicions to grow."
"Moving on, besides those who were sent over at the beginning, which were caught by yours truly… I"ve got a feeling that all these men — especially the Five Venerable Lords — were deliberately sent over by the governing council of the Four Seasons Tower just to have me finish them off."
"This feeling grew even more evident when I met the two civil and martial officials. When it finally came to Summer, Autumn and Winter … you could say it was as if I had the entire list of names in my hands. Although it had gone through Wu Ying instead, something seemed a little out of place. The Four Seasons Tower had reveled in good reputation since the beginning of time in the land of Tianxuan — so how could a slip-up of this degree even happen?"
"Pray tell, why is that so?"
Mr. Nian wore a slight smile as he poured tea, giving no further comments.
"You first struck a perpetually unresolvable feud with us, the Nine Supremes, then sent men from the lowest to the highest of ranks to die under my blade, having me eliminate them one by one. These self-destructive moves of yours are truly inexplicable."
Yun Yang continued. "I believe that if it wasn"t because you"ve gone completely crazy, then it must have been for some other significant purpose! The most confusing thing was… although I knew you had a greater purpose behind this, I still can"t release those men whom you"ve sent over — I can only kill them all! However, with every man I kill, I can"t help but feel that you are inching closer to your final goal. The fact that you"re using somebody else to do your dirty work is truly amazing, yet infuriating at the same time!"
"Come to this very day, we have agreed to a final battle. Since now is the moment, these mysteries should be unraveled."
Yun Yang continued. "I am ashamed. I"ve always prided myself over my unrivaled intelligence as I"m always thinking a step ahead, yet I still can"t figure this out. Please enlighten me."
Mr. Nian exhaled gently and smiled. "Not bad — not bad at all. These state of affairs certainly have other reasons behind them. Lord Supreme Cloud, your ability to judge the Tower"s strength, goals and even self-cognition is very accurate indeed. Supreme Wit… you truly live up to your name. The real reason itself is a little unusual anyway — it is completely reasonable that you might not have figured it out or managed to think it through!"
He looked at Yun Yang, a smile etched across his face. "Anything else besides that? What else do you wish to be answered?"
Yun Yang returned his smile. "These two questions should be sufficient. You should list your own questions next."
"Well, yes — I do have a few queries in mind for you, Lord Supreme Cloud. The secrets behind the Residence of Nine Supremes are the ones that I am most curious about; also — how did you manage to maintain your ident.i.ty with such secrecy? If it wasn"t for the sudden intervention by the School of the Kismet State, this reputed one would have still remained in the dark and not known that Lord Supreme Cloud had always been in plain sight, and had even dealt personally with a few of my men."
A light smile flitted across his face. "Just like how you said, Lord Supreme Cloud — after today"s battle, the Four Seasons Tower might just vanish from the martial world permanently; the other possibility would be you, Lord Supreme Cloud, might just be put into an eternal slumber; now that we"ve arrived at this ultimatum, there is truly no secret that cannot be shared."
"Do elaborate."
Mr. Nian gave a good-natured laugh. "It seems like Lord Supreme Cloud is expecting me to answer first."
"I was the one who asked first, so I should get the answers one step ahead!" Yun Yang replied calmly.
Mr. Nian burst out in laughter but made no move to respond.
He lapsed into silence as if he was arranging his stream of thoughts. Locking his gaze onto the puffs of aroma from the tea, he began, albeit slowly, "For so long, the Four Seasons Tower has upheld the tradition, yet now, for the first time in forever, we are pushed into a desperate, you-die-or-I-die situation. Although I might have purposely instigated this entire thing, it might also be dictated by the power of destiny, or perhaps, it is the work of both destiny and human intervention."
"I need to begin from the tradition of the Four Seasons Tower to address the root of the matter."
"The skies have clear and dark days, and the years have their seasons," Mr. Nian started. "That fateful year, I was eighteen, and I was one of the five disciple-leaders of the Four Seasons Tower."
Yun Yang mused silently; The Four Seasons Tower is truly extraordinary… they went as far as having five disciple-leaders!