Chapter 539: Kneel Down! Beg!

The forest was covered in snow as it fluttered from the sky, weighing the branches down as they bowed under the weight of snow. Occasionally, the snow that had piled on the trees would land on the ground with a plop.

In a small valley, the opposite cliff was sliced, just like a huge tombstone. Before the cliff, there was a small grave that was packed securely with snow. On the other side of the forest, all the upper parts of the trees were hacked off, leaving only the bottom trunks. It looked like they had been taken off as a marking.

A thin person in white stood alone in front of the grave. His actions were slow as he went about his business.

Yun Yang approached the man quietly, his heart lurching. Could it be that... Sister Lan already... Was this person paying a tribute to her?

The man in white was clearing the accumulated snow on the grave with his hands without using any mystical Qi. He was meticulously cleaning the tomb. When the snow was swept off, yellowish brown soil was uncovered. He was even carefully removing the wilted weeds from it. The surrounding area of the grave was cleared, forming a lonely but unique sight in the snowy landscape.

Then, he stood there unmoving for a long time.

Yun Yang approached the vicinity with bated breath as he landed on the snow-covered slope. He lowered himself and concealed his being within the snow. When he was sure that his breathing, heartbeat, and divine sense was sufficiently under control so as not to expose himself, he looked up slowly.

The person in front of the grave was thin and sculpted; his face was pale while silver dotted his sideburns. He looked rather aged. Grey strands of hair fluttered in the chilling breeze, his gaze looked broken. He wore white but it exuded an icy cold.

Yun Yang almost cried out.

This person was very familiar. Moreover, they had met each other in duels many times before.

It was the Four Seasons Tower's Venerable Lord Ice.

Yun Yang recalled many things at once. Shui Wuyin had reported that the Four Seasons Tower's Venerable Lord Ice had slipped into Tiantang City in secret while King Qinguang had mentioned that they had broken the meridians connecting Venerable Lord Ice's heart.

...

Now, Venerable Lord Ice had appeared here.

Why?

Who was the one buried in this grave?

Yun Yang could not help thinking of Yang Botao, the Yutang marshal whose reputation was ruined and he was beheaded. His father was Venerable Lord Ice. Yang Botao's demise was caused by none other than his own father, Venerable Lord Ice himself!

Snow and wind painted the scene.

Venerable Lord Ice suddenly heaved a long sigh.

"Tao'er..." Venerable Lord Ice's voice was sorrowful. "I wonder if... your wife has forgiven you now underneath?"

The wind blew harder, causing his voice to crack.

Yun Yang jolted. When Yang Botao died, he was right beside him but now... What was going on?

"Your father has wronged you."

Venerable Lord Ice sat himself down in front of the grave like he had lost all his bones, his voice trailed off into a sob. "I'm so sorry..."

"Since you were small, I've never taken care of you, never fulfilled any responsibility as a father. It was only your mother who brought you up. When you grew up, I didn't even help you. You enlisted in the military since your teenage years, going to war all your life and became who you were, but... it's me who failed you..."

The grave was silent, only a forlorn and regretful voice drifted in the wind.

"Have you begrudged your father down there?"

"Sigh, it's impossible you don't resent me..."

Venerable Lord Ice grabbed the frozen soil in front of the tomb with both his hands and rubbed them on his face; he quivered, sobbing without a sound.

As Yun Yang gazed, he saw tears that had turned into ice hanging on both sides of Venerable Lord Ice's mouth.

"I regret..."

Venerable Lord Ice sobbed, his voice a blur.

"If God gives me another chance, I'd destroy my cultivation base for sure, become the old man who's a step away from death in your home. So what if I can't live long? Isn't it better when my son and daughter-in-law are by my side? Martial world hegemony? Becoming unrivaled? Those are imaginary things to me now. They would be like nothing compared to my son serving me a cup of tea..."

"Without me, you have lived well but once you acknowledged this father, your home was ruined."

Venerable Lord Ice sprawled on the ground, trembling.

"I regret it so much!"

"Why must I understand it only when I'm fatally injured? Why must I regret only when nothing can be salvaged?"

"I was stupid. Burying our family's happiness away."

Venerable Lord Ice wept in the wintery land.

"I've torn you apart with my own hands, I've sent our family to doom with my own hands."

"Previously, I've always thought that I'm the Four Seasons Tower's Venerable Lord Ice, I'm the future unrivaled God of Ice. As long as our goal is accomplished, I shall become immortal. I've never realized that I'm wrong."

"So I coerced you and made you commit a heinous sin. I made you lose everything because of me."

"But now that I'm wounded and can't live for long, I know now what's worth cherishing in this world! It's not the regret that I can't become God of Ice, it's... my son and my family that I will never see again..."

Venerable Lord Ice's sob quivered in the wind. "God! Why - why make me realize the truth so late! My son, he had a bright future, he was influential and respected, he was loyal, and he was a hero! A hero! Yet I've made my own son carry an eternal infamy! I've turned his lifetime effort into naught!"

"My son had no family since he was young. With hard work, he finally had one but I, his father, caused him to lose everything! Am I worthy to be a father? No!"

Venerable Lord Ice sobbed aloud.

Perhaps, it was because this forest and wilderness were so isolated that he had no restraint. He did not attempt to soften his weeping. He bawled out loud.

It was at this moment that a voice spoke leisurely, "Venerable Lord Ice, do you know why you've suddenly come to realize the truth now?"

The bawling stopped abruptly.

Pin-drop silence permeated the atmosphere at once.

Venerable Lord Ice froze, rooted to the ground. He promptly reined in his emotions.

After a moment, his icy voice rang in the air. "Which friend is it who has found your way here? Do come out and let us have a good chat."

Yun Yang smirked coldly.

Have a good chat? About? Once he got out, that chat would be about life and death.

Yun Yang was not afraid though.

With a flutter of purple, Yun Yang appeared before Venerable Lord Ice with a straight face. He spoke faintly, "Has Venerable Lord Ice forgotten me?"

Venerable Lord Ice squinted, replying lightly, "I see, it's Young Master Yun."

A chilling murderous intent was slowly brewing in his eyes.

Yun Yang could feel that he had invaded Venerable Lord Ice's secret and had personally seen his most vulnerable side. This was something that such a formidable force could not allow to go unscathed. Therefore, despite his calm front, Venerable Lord Ice had already sentenced Yun Yang to death.

"So Venerable Lord Ice is actually Marshal Yang Botao's father." Yun Yang smiled coldly and said, "I didn't expect Yutang's heroic Marshal Yang to actually have a Four Seasons Tower father. This is shocking."

Venerable Lord Ice shuddered and said, "Yang Botao is only my adopted son."

He paused and said hoarsely, "He's but one among my many adopted children. I like him, that's all."

Yun Yang smirked. "Is that so?"

The nonchalant tone ignited Venerable Lord Ice's fury; he exploded and straightened up, glaring at Yun Yang and glowered, "What does it have to do with you? Yun Yang, do you think you can leave this place alive today?"

Yun Yang chuckled darkly and said, "It has nothing to do with me nor have I the interest to know it. But whether I can leave alive today is what you, an old bastard who harmed his own biological son, will have to decide!"

What Yun Yang said struck Venerable Lord Ice's nerve right where it hurt; the latter growled, furiously shrieking, "What did you say!"

"Are you deaf? You are really old now, eh?" Yun Yang asked rhetorically.

The wind billowed as Venerable Lord Ice hollered, "You're seeking your own death!"

He suddenly turned into the tornado, amidst the snow, charging towards Yun Yang with a lethal intent.

Yun Yang did not make any move to avoid him, standing straight like a mountain, and asked faintly, "Do you have the Nine-Beam Rainbow Herb? I'd like to see it."

It was like as if a thunderbolt had exploded above Venerable Lord Ice who was about to pounce forward; he halted abruptly, his expression changed. He vomited blood midair and hovered there, crying out, "Who are you? What do you know?!"

Anyone who heard him at this point in time would never think that such a voice belonged to the human world.

The Nine-Beam Rainbow Herb - his biggest lie! It was also the eternal guilt tainting Venerable Lord Ice's heart.

Yun Yang picked his head up slowly and gazed at the man opposite of him, answering, "I was right by his side when Yang Botao died!"

"What did you say?!" Venerable Lord Ice fell from the air with a swoosh; the swift action causing him to spit out another mouthful of blood as he stared straight at Yun Yang.

Yun Yang was unmoved. "Yang Botao told me a lot of things in the end!"

Venerable Lord Ice trembled.

His violent aura and murderous intent instantly dissipated into nothing. His gaze was dead set on Yun Yang's face while his lips quivered. He had yet to beg with words but the emotion in his eyes was near pleading.

Yun Yang's eyes were cast coolly on Venerable Lord Ice, uttering each word carefully, "I know about all of it!"

"I don't believe it!" Venerable Lord Ice roared.

Yun Yang did not say anything but merely watched him in silence. He knew that Venerable Lord Ice already believed him, what he said now was only an unconscious stubborn retort.

"You don't?" asked Yun Yang calmly.

Venerable Lord Ice's gaze was bleary, he was shaking all over.

"Since you don't believe it, I won't say anything then," replied Yun Yang faintly.

Venerable Lord Ice took an abrupt step forward and bellowed, "Tell me! What did he say before he died!"

Yun Yang's gaze was cold, he spoke as chillingly, "Are you... begging me?"

Beg? This word had never existed in the entirety of Venerable Lord Ice's lifetime. Now that he heard it, he was instinctually enraged.

"You!"

"Hmm? Other than harming your own son, bringing his family to ruin, you don't know anything else? You don't know how to beg?" Yun Yang's eyes squinted as his arms rested on his back.

Venerable Lord Ice glared at him, his breathing erratic.

Yun Yang continued indifferently. "Not only do I know about the Nine-Beam Rainbow Herb, I also know that it's used to conspire against the Nine Supremes; it's Yang Botao's father's scheme. I also know what Yang Botao said, I know the biggest regret of a once notable marshal, I know a lot."

He smiled, his tone calm but laced with endless brutality. "I know all of this. But unless others kneel before me and beg, I won't say anything."

"Kneel before you and beg?!" Venerable Lord Ice was furious, almost losing his sanity. "Dream on!"

Yun Yang nodded. "Correct, so I shall go on dreaming now. You can continue crying here. This is Yang Botao's memorial, huh? What's buried inside? Why don't I know that he still had something left?"

Venerable Lord Ice looked like he wanted to devour Yun Yang whole but the latter did not mind it at all, smiling faintly, Yun Yang continued, "I bid my leave!"

He turned to leave.

"Stand right there!" Venerable Lord Ice jerked forward and before he knew it he was already blocking the way in front of Yun Yang. One of his arms was raised high in the snowy sky.

"If I fight against you now you aren't my opponent. But even if I don't counter, would you dare kill me?" Yun Yang's gaze was calm, he did nothing to defend himself.

Venerable Lord Ice was huffing.

"No one else in this world knows how to kill me."

Yun Yang's gaze on Venerable Lord Ice was crystal clear while the latter's gaze went from furious and frantic to worried, frightened, slowly becoming lifeless and bleary.

Yun Yang was right before him without any defense. Venerable Lord Ice could have killed him with just a raise of arm but his hand did not move.

"I don't want to force you - because you look like a pitiful father now wanting to know what your son said before his death. Perhaps I should fulfill this wish of yours," said Yun Yang faintly.

"Considering human emotions, I shouldn't put you in such a tough spot."

"If it were someone else's father, I'd tell him without missing a word. It wouldn't matter how revolting and how vicious he had been. This would be the last essential piece of news, I wouldn't not tell him," Yun Yang continued lightly.

"But not you!"

Yun Yang's gaze was suddenly colored with deep hatred - painted with the grudges of his Nine Supremes brothers, the resentment of countless warriors, the tragedy of Yang Botao...

Yun Yang felt his heart ache. With a glower of eyes, he hollered till his voice was hoarse, "Kneel down! Beg!"