Transcending the Nine Heavens

Han Xiaoran smiled faintly and said, "That year, I first killed Cheng Mofeng, a fifth stage Martial Saint, and caught Nan Kongyun, an eighth stage Martial Saint, injuring his internal organs and causing him to have concussions. But I suffered from an invisible poison that Nan Kongyun created himself, and the poison had now invaded deep into my internal organs… It was Tong Wuxin who helped me to treat my injuries. But the invisible poison couldn't be cured. I've been applying medicines once a year, till today…"

He smiled lightly. "That taste isn't good."

Chu Yang said with surprise, "Invisible poison? You said you suffered from invisible poison?"

Han Xiaoran's body quivered violently. He suddenly straightened his body and two cold eyes glared at Chu Yang. He didn't speak for some time, before he said heavily, "What do you mean?"

Chu Yang pondered for a while and asked, "Did the great elder of the Medicine Valley also said that it's invisible poison?"

Han Xiaoran's face became colder. He took a deep breath and said, "Are you saying… this is not invisible poison?"

Chu Yang was silent for a moment, then he spoke, "Poison is a frightening thing! Even experts can't avoid suffering from poison. But… what's terrible about poison is the process of poisoning, but not what one suffers from the poison!"

Han Xiaoran's face was stiff and chilly. He sat still and didn't speak.

"When you went to arrest Nan Kongyun, you naturally knew about his invisible poison! So, I don't believe that you went to him unprepared."

Chu Yang said softly.

Han Xiaoran's eyes locked on Chu Yang and he said in a low voice, "Yes, in confronting him, if I went to him unprepared and without full confidence that I could evade from his poison, I would only be committing suicide. When I went to him back then, I was equipped not only with the detoxification pill given by the Dharma Supreme, but also an advanced digestive pill given by the Medicine Valley. In addition, I also wore a coat made with giant silkworms."

Chu Yang said, "And you still carried a Saint level cultivation!"

Han Xiaoran was silent.

He once said that he went to arrest Nan Kongyun who was an eighth stage Martial Saint, then wouldn't he be at least a ninth stage Martial Saint?

"From what I know, with a Saint level cultivation, even if one didn't take tight precautions, should he exercise his cultivation, there's no way for him to suffer from any poisons, regardless of whether it's invisible or otherwise!"

Chu Yang said.

Han Xiaoran became silent for a long time before he said heavily, "You're right."

"But you suffered from poison!" Chu Yang stressed these words coldly. These words were ordinary, but they meant a conclusion.

"Yes, I've been poisoned!" Han Xiaoran stood up and walked slowly. His face looked chilly and iron-like, as if at this moment, he had put on a cold iron mask. He said slowly, "When I came back, I felt unwell, and I didn't consider myself being poisoned! Because I'm confident that even if Nan Kongyun set his poison in the battle, he would definitely not succeed."

"But, when Tong Wuxin diagnosed me, his diagnosis was that I suffered from invisible poison. And, all the symptoms were the same as Nan Kongyun's invisible poison. Since I arrested Nan Kongyun alive, I verified this with him when he was under interrogation, and he confirmed that I indeed suffered from invisible poison."

The corner of his mouth curled up. He said, "But invisible poison has no antidote to it."

"So you can only rely on Tong Wuxin to treat you," Chu Yang said.

"Yes."

"And it was from that time that the invisible poison found its roots in your body. Every year, it would cause a seizure."

Han Xiaoran turned his back against him and clasped his hands behind his back. Then, with a cold voice, he said, "Yes."

"So, every year when you had a seizure, it was Tong Wuxin who helped you to suppress it," Chu Yang followed up closely. Seeing the dialogue between the two of them, Sha Xinliang and Qin Baoshan unknowingly started to sweat.

The duo felt the atmosphere was getting more tense and oppressive, which almost caused them to be breathless as if they would suffocate and faint over at any time.

"Not… bad!" Han Xiaoran remained in his position, but the joints on his two hands had already turned a bit pale.

"So, after months and years, your skin color turned black. But as a law-enforcement officer and a man, you didn't notice this at first. Or you just noticed this when I reminded you today," Chu Yang said lightly.

"Not bad!" Han Xiaoran said again.

"So, while your hair was originally completely black, there suddenly appeared a patch of silvery-white hair one day! And this is irremovable. If I didn't estimate wrongly, the scalp under your silvery-white hair had turned necrotic! This wasn't grown from your scalp, but directly from your brain!" Chu Yang said rapidly.

"Everything you said is correct!"

Han Xiaoran remained still.

"After your injury, your cultivation hadn't improved, right?" Chu Yang asked.

"No, and there are signs that I'm degrading," Han Xiaoran said.

"You were already at the peak in your cultivation of a Martial Saint. Within a year, you battled consecutively with two other Martial Saints. But didn't you have any new feelings or perspectives?" Chu Yang asked again.

"Yes!" Han Xiaoran was very frank, "I have! But I just can't advance!"

"So you've doubted Tong Wuxin before," Chu Yang was silent for a while before he said, "And you also went to the great elder of the Medicine Valley to verify this."

"Yes," Han Xiaoran admitted.

"What did the great elder say?" Chu Yang followed up.

Han Xiaoran was silent.

After a round, they still came back to the question. But the mood and atmosphere of the conversation were completely different from that previously.

This question carried with it a spell of death!

Han Xiaoran was silent for a very, very long time. Then, he said slowly and with a deep voice, "He said that this is an invisible poison! But… he didn't know this kind of poison! And he couldn't cure this."

Chu Yang frowned and asked an irrelevant question, "Are the high priest of the Medicine Valley and the great elder of the Medicine Valley the same person?"

"No," Han Xiaoran said lightly.

"Erm," Chu Yang started to ponder.

The two people, one standing and the other sitting, were all sunk into thoughts. No one talked.

There was dead silence.

Sha Xinliang and Qin Baoshan felt themselves sitting on needles, but they dared not to breathe aloud.

The truth was obvious from here.

After a long time, Han Xiaoran gently turned around. His face still remained calm, and his eyes still remained deep and distant. Looking at Chu Yang, he asked, "Divine Doctor Chu, what's your opinion?"

Chu Yang smiled bitterly.

Chu Yang originally intended to stir up a storm here. Making use of the law-enforcement officers in the South-East region to confront the Shi clan was Chu Yang's ideal target. But to achieve this target, there must be a premise: the law-enforcement master has injuries in his body. Then, Chu Yang would use some despicable methods to make an issue out of it, thereby achieving his own goal.

But he only felt sad now.

Because after he met Han Xiaoran, although Han Xiaoran had the intention to kill himself, the integrity and righteousness within Han Xiaoran aroused deep veneration in Chu Yang towards him.

If Tong Wuxin wasn't a spy, Chu Yang had even intended to let this scheme go. He could use other inexhaustible and shameless methods to achieve his goals; But he had a psychological bottom line and premise: To only do so when dealing with villainous people or enemies.

In the face of Han Xiaoran, such a righteous and upright law-enforcement officer, an impartial yet sentimental law-enforcement master, a son who's even filial to his mother who had died 1300 years ago, and an elder who had a respectable character, Chu Yang dared not to lay hands on him.

But, the world was just so bizarre.

As Chu Yang was just about to give up, there was again a sudden change in the situation.

Everything was developing in accordance with Chu Yang's anticipation. Chu Yang had to exploit Han Xiaoran even though he didn't want to now.

What made Chu Yang the saddest was that he couldn't cure Han Xiaoran's injuries now.

Han Xiaoran was an adamant person. Moreover, after many years went by, he had already given up of putting life and death in mind.

He would definitely not accept Tong Wuxin's threats, and he would never accept his favor!

Once Tong Wuxin's atrocities were uncovered, he must be dead! The battle between the Shi clan and the law-enforcement officers would definitely be ignited!

Han Xiaoran must die!

"Divine Doctor Chu?" Han Xiaoran smiled, looked at Chu Yang and whispered, "I'm waiting for your answer."

"If the law-enforcement master… dies, it'll be a pity," Chu Yang said softly.

Everyone wasn't a fool. They understood what Chu Yang meant by these words. Sha Xinliang and Qin Baoshan's face suddenly turned pale. They stood up immediately and hooked their eyes on Chu Yang while their bodies shuddered.

"Erm. I've understood," Han Xiaoran's expression didn't change. He walked slowly back onto his seat, sat down, and stared at the tea, saying heavily, "I've been practicing martial arts since young. I reached the Emperor level at 23 years old, and the Monarch level at 65 years old. After a further 1200 years, I reached the peak of the ninth stage Martial Monarch, and was only a step away from being a Supreme Martial Artist!"

He said heavily, while everyone also listened to him with heavy moods.

Chu Yang sighed in his heart: How talented is he to be a Martial Emperor only at 23 years old? He only used 42 years to advance from a Martial Emperor to a Martial Saint. But with such aptitude, he actually used 1200 years to advance from a Martial Monarch to a ninth stage Martial Saint!

Han Xiaoran relaxed himself and poured a cup of tea as he said, "I became a law-enforcement officer when I was 30 years old. Since then, I killed many villains, of which there were 17,833 Martial Emperors, 965 Martial Monarchs, and 107 Martial Saints! No one missed the net and not a single person was given unjust treatments!"

He laughed, "As a law-enforcement officer, killing people is inevitable. But I have a book of conscience. After I killed one, I'll record on the book. What crime did they commit, and why did we kill them were all recorded clearly. Even after killing them, I'll also investigate deeper into the issue. For 1,200 or so years, I haven't killed anyone wrongly!"

"My heart is at ease now!" Han Xiaoran said as he smiled faintly.

Sha Xinliang spoke with a hoarse voice, "Master! Master… You…"

Han Xiaoran sat still. With a flick on his sleeves, he sneered, "What I mean to say is… I, Han Xiaoran, has my conscience in the right place for all my life. I'm not afraid of looking up to heaven, nor afraid of looking down to the earth! I can go to heaven with dignity. Even if I go to hell, I'll also have the courage to meet the King of Hell face to face!"

He let out a cold laugh, "Tong Wuxin wanted to use this means to submit to him? And are all of you persuading me to temporarily bear with him? Haha… I would have let him go if I don't know about his wickedness. But since I do now… how am I, Han Xiaoran, someone who's willing to submit to others?"

…