Chapter 136: Righteous Breeze Villa

Gu Mo and Gu Chutong had always known little about the martial arts world, and their understanding was mostly limited to Yunzhou. Yet, even so, the names of Chu Tianqing, the Nine Rivers Dragon King, and Ye Jinglan, the Saber Emperor, were very familiar to them. This was because, in recent years, their reputations had become incredibly widespread. Indeed, across the entire Qian Kingdom, their fame in recent years could be ranked among the top.

Most notably, both were still very young, only in their thirties. Yet, they were already renowned grandmasters of their generation, possessing top-tier combat prowess.

However, what the martial arts world most frequently talked about was their past filled with both affection and conflict.

They were fellow disciples from the same master.

Both had studied under He Qizheng, a top master from Qingzhou, known in the martial arts world as "Iron Hand Judge."

Ten years ago, He Qizheng passed away.

Ye Jinglan and Chu Tianqing then descended the mountain to venture into the martial arts world. Before long, their reputations soared. Within just two or three years, they had established formidable reputations and founded their own respective forces.

However, seven years ago, the two fell out over a woman.

She was Zhuo Fanghua, the most beautiful woman of the previous generation in Qingzhou. Both men fell in love with Zhuo Fanghua at first sight and pursued her.

Ultimately, Zhuo Fanghua chose Chu Tianqing.

Ye Jinglan caused a major scene at their wedding. Chu Tianqing and Ye Jinglan fought a fierce battle that day, ending in a draw, but their brotherhood was severed, and the gang they had jointly established split apart.

Afterward, Chu Tianqing led his followers to establish the Nine Rivers Alliance in Jiangzuo. Under his leadership, the Nine Rivers Alliance virtually unified half of Qingzhou's martial arts world within just a few years. It was only half because the Jiangyou region belonged to another power, the Heavenly Saber Sect.

The Heavenly Saber Sect was founded by Ye Jinglan, who had broken with Chu Tianqing and left with his subordinates.

Unlike Chu Tianqing, who forged wide alliances by cultivating goodwill, Ye Jinglan possessed an exceedingly domineering personality. He led his subordinates to the Jiangyou region, where he forcibly subdued a large number of local martial arts factions with his saber, quickly establishing a force called the Heavenly Saber Sect.

Subsequently, he carried his dominance to the extreme, issuing the Heavenly Saber Order: those who submitted would join the Heavenly Saber Sect; those who refused would either voluntarily leave and surrender their territory, or Ye Jinglan would personally challenge them.

However, although Ye Jinglan's actions were domineering, he wasn't like demonic cultivators who indiscriminately wiped out entire families. He would always confront them directly, causing chaos and unrest. If his challenges were not accepted, his Heavenly Saber Sect disciples were equally overbearing, storming the gates and causing destruction.

Thus, under this operational model, the Heavenly Saber Sect expanded remarkably fast, subduing the entire Jiangyou region of Qingzhou in just a few years.

As a result, Qingzhou's martial arts world was practically divided into two. Chu Tianqing, the Nine Rivers Dragon King, dominated Jiangzuo, while Ye Jinglan, the Saber Emperor, ruled Jiangyou.

The entire martial arts world eagerly anticipated a confrontation between these two equally powerful masters of the same era.

In fact, a battle between them was inevitable. Both the Nine Rivers Alliance and the Heavenly Saber Sect had grown to their limits, making further external expansion a necessity. Moreover, a single mountain could not accommodate two tigers. A single Qingzhou could not simultaneously hold two equally matched powers like the Heavenly Saber Sect and the Nine Rivers Alliance.

"When did this happen?" Gu Chutong asked, puzzled. "We haven't heard anything about these two fighting a decisive battle."

Elder Sangtu replied, "I only received the news this morning. This matter emerged just a few days ago and is only now starting to spread. It happened five days ago, apparently when a Nine Rivers Alliance fleet encountered a conflict with the Heavenly Saber Sect while passing through the Jiangyou region. Such incidents were common; tensions between the Heavenly Saber Sect and the Nine Rivers Alliance had been constant for the past two years, and Ye Jinglan's exceptionally domineering nature kept him constantly pressuring the Nine Rivers Alliance. However, Chu Tianqing, whether out of consideration for their past brotherhood or other reasons, had consistently shown forbearance, preventing large-scale conflicts between the Heavenly Saber Sect and the Nine Rivers Alliance.

"But this time was different. The fleet involved in the conflict happened to include Zhuo Fanghua, who was returning home to visit relatives. Driven by love turned to hatred, Ye Jinglan actually killed Zhuo Fanghua. Ye Jinglan's action truly touched Chu Tianqing's raw nerve. Chu Tianqing immediately challenged Ye Jinglan to a duel, and Ye Jinglan accepted, agreeing to a life-or-death battle at Duanhun Cliff. It's a shame I'm severely injured and can't go. Otherwise, I would definitely join the excitement. That's a battle between the Saber Emperor and the Dragon King, an encounter between absolute masters—it's incredibly rare! This battle isn't just about the two of them; it will also shape the entire martial arts landscape of Qingzhou."

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "I'll go witness this event myself." Although he could not see with his eyes, he could perceive and hear, just as he had sensed Qi Tianshu's sword intent at Nanting Villa previously.

The next morning, Elder Sangtu found a suitable guide for Gu Mo: a member of the Rongwei Escort Agency from Qingzhou City. The leader was an escort head named Liu Feiyang, who had a considerable reputation for chivalry in the martial arts world and was known for his integrity. He also happened to be returning to Qingzhou City.

Upon learning that he was to guide Gu Mo, Liu Feiyang immediately followed the disciples of the Canglan Sword Sect to meet Gu Mo, displaying a highly humble and respectful demeanor.

After a brief exchange with Liu Feiyang, Gu Mo set off.

The Rongwei Escort Agency comprised four individuals: besides Liu Feiyang, the escort head, there was one escort and two porters. All were lightly equipped for travel. Gu Mo and Gu Chutong also traveled light, making their progress highly agile.

From Cangshan Town, Liu Feiyang, leveraging his familiarity with Qingzhou, devised two or three contingency plans to handle any unforeseen circumstances along the way. Throughout the journey, because Liu Feiyang had been escorting goods for many years, he was familiar with inns and post stations where they could stop and rest.

Although this journey spanned over a thousand li, with Liu Feiyang as their guide, Gu Mo and Gu Chutong faced no significant difficulties.

Furthermore, emboldened by the presence of Gu Mo, the Great Hero of Yunzhou, Liu Feiyang deliberately chose shortcuts, including paths he wouldn't normally dare to take during escorts. Their speed was exceptional, and in just four or five days, they had already reached the vicinity of Qingzhou City.

Along the way, they did encounter some highwaymen attempting robberies, but Gu Chutong easily dealt with them without Gu Mo needing to intervene.

That evening, the sky suddenly grew dark.

As the group traversed a large mountain called Mangshan, with rain seemingly imminent, Liu Feiyang cupped his hands and addressed Gu Mo, "Great Hero Gu, there's an abandoned villa further ahead in the mountains. I passed by it once two years ago and spent a night there. Although it's old and in disrepair, it's generally well-preserved and suitable for resting."

Since Liu Feiyang had been handling all arrangements throughout the journey, Gu Mo naturally had no objections and immediately agreed.

Sure enough, not long after, the group spotted an abandoned villa on a mountainside. It was surrounded by thorny bushes, and its crumbling walls and ruined structures appeared shadowy in the twilight. Despite years of erosion by wind and rain, the towering gate walls and spacious courtyard layout still hinted at its former grandeur.

Upon reaching the main gate, they saw a stone tablet over a丈 (approx. 3.3 meters) tall, with four grand characters boldly inscribed: "Zhengqi Villa."

Liu Feiyang explained, "Over forty years ago, Zhengqi Villa was a renowned martial arts power in Qingzhou. However, due to a catastrophe, the entire household was massacred overnight. Over 140 people, including infants, were slaughtered without exception. Legend has it that since then, Zhengqi Villa has been filled with vengeful spirits and is haunted year-round. Initially, some martial artists tried to take over the villa, but after numerous ghostly incidents, no one dared to come here anymore. It gradually fell into disrepair and became a 'charity estate,' where bodies of those who died away from home or unclaimed corpses from martial arts fights are often discarded."

Gu Chutong asked, puzzled, "What kind of catastrophe was that, so brutal that even children weren't spared?"

Liu Feiyang replied, "It's impossible to distinguish truth from falsehood now. It's said that over forty years ago, a fire qilin appeared in Qingzhou. That qilin was as large as an ox, covered in flames, and incredibly violent, leaving destruction in its wake wherever it passed. At that time, nine highly skilled heroes from Qingzhou, known as the 'Nine Righteous Ones of Qingzhou,' went to besiege the fire qilin. It is said that they paid a tremendous price but finally managed to kill it. After its death, the qilin supposedly left behind a secret treasure, which triggered a bloody storm. It's rumored that Lu Canyang, the master of Zhengqi Villa and the leader of the Nine Righteous Ones, was annihilated precisely because he acquired the qilin's secret treasure!"

Gu Chutong exclaimed in surprise, "A real qilin?"

Liu Feiyang shook his head. "It's all hearsay. Those who were rumored to have participated in the qilin's siege are all gone now, so there's no way to verify it. Moreover, after all these years, there's been no news of those two qilin secret treasures ever appearing. Young Heroine Gu, as you know, martial arts rumors often spread by word of mouth, becoming distorted and turning into something quite different from the truth. For instance, take the Underworld Epiphyllum, which is now in your hands. I believe the Underworld Epiphyllum is indeed wondrous, but is it truly as miraculous as martial arts legends claim, capable of traversing between life and death, and moving back and forth between the real and the ethereal realms?"

Gu Chutong paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Escort Head Liu makes a good point."

The fact that the Underworld Epiphyllum was now in the hands of the Gu siblings, Mo and Chutong, was no secret, at least not to the martial artists who had been in Cangshan Town. Everyone knew Gu Mo had taken the Underworld Epiphyllum after slaying the tiger ghost. Such rare treasures, if they fell into ordinary hands, would bring misfortune rather than fortune, much like the story of Zhengqi Villa Liu Feiyang just told. However, with it in Gu Mo's possession, few in the martial arts world dared to covet it. Those who weren't afraid of Gu Mo wouldn't risk antagonizing him just for an Underworld Epiphyllum.

And since acquiring the Underworld Epiphyllum, Gu Mo and Gu Chutong had examined it themselves. It wasn't as miraculous as rumored; it merely possessed a unique qi, far from the legendary ability to revive the dead with a mere scent or grant immunity to all diseases with a glance.

As they chatted, the group entered the villa.

Inside, the courtyard was overgrown with knee-high weeds, rustling in the wind. The two vermilion lacquer gates, long faded, stood ajar. Upon stepping into the villa, a smell of decay assailed them. Inside, there was a dense array of coffins, some already rotten. Numerous bones, both intact and fragmented, lay scattered across the ground, gleaming with a chilling light in the dimness. Some bones still bore remnants of decaying clothing, creating a truly eerie atmosphere.