Chapter 137: Endless Arrivals

"Hero Gu, Heroine Gu, this way." Liu Feiyang led Gu Mo and Gu Chutong along a nearby corridor, saying as they walked, "When I came here two years ago, it was just like this. There were bodies and coffins everywhere, all unclaimed souls who had died far from home."

Gu Chutong asked, puzzled, "No one came to claim them?"

Liu Feiyang replied, "Those in coffins are better off; perhaps someone will come to claim them and take them back in the future. But most of those left here are from martial arts conflicts, abandoned where they fell. The authorities either found nothing when investigating afterwards, or simply didn't bother to investigate and just brought them here to dispose of them."

"What about their families?" Gu Chutong asked.

Liu Feiyang chuckled softly and said, "Most people who venture into the jianghu are ordinary folk. How many dare to bring their families along? They come out alone, and no one believes the saying 'trouble won't reach your family,' so they naturally wouldn't reveal their home addresses. That's why the jianghu is full of wandering spirits, countless unclaimed souls. Most people just die, their bodies can't return home, and their families won't know if they're alive or dead. Unless they're major figures renowned throughout the jianghu, who would care? People die every day in the jianghu."

Gu Chutong fell silent for a moment, clutching Gu Mo's sleeve and whispering, "Brother..."

Gu Mo gently stroked Gu Chutong's head and said, "It's alright, I'm always here."

Gu Chutong looked up and asked, "Brother, do you think, Dad and Mom..."

Gu Mo was silent for a while, then shook his head slightly without speaking.

He felt Liu Feiyang was right; the jianghu was indeed full of wandering spirits and unclaimed souls. Not everyone in the jianghu had a past full of grievances and entanglements like protagonists in plays, nor did everyone's parents possess some unknown identity or thrilling story waiting for their children to uncover. Most people were just ordinary jianghu figures, becoming lonely, unattended spirits dying in some forgotten corner of the jianghu.

Gu Mo had actually been prepared for this thought for a long time. The Profound Void Saber Technique and Profound Void Inner Cultivation taught to them by their parents were only second or third-rate skills in the jianghu. And with his current martial arts realm, recalling the martial arts his parents displayed, they were indeed only at a second or third-rate jianghu level.

Their sudden, hurried departure back then was perhaps just as Liu Feiyang had said: those in the jianghu didn't believe that trouble wouldn't affect their families, so they left without a trace. It was possible that they were among those unclaimed souls buried in the jianghu.

Soon, led by Liu Feiyang, Gu Mo and his group searched for a long time before finding a room with a complete roof that offered shelter from the rain.

It was a spacious hall, but completely devoid of furniture. Of course, it was unlikely any furniture would remain; after all, it had been many years since the Righteousness Manor's annihilation. All the furniture had long been taken by opportunistic people, and there was no shortage of those looking for a bargain, especially with ownerless property. Had it not been for the rumors of ghosts, the manor would have been occupied long ago, not left to fall into such ruin.

However, there were seven or eight coffins in the hall, and traces of a campfire in the center, suggesting someone had recently stayed there a few days prior.

Liu Feiyang took out a fire starter, lit his portable lantern for illumination, and then instructed some of his subordinates to open the windows for ventilation.

Looking at the coffins, Liu Feiyang clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Gentlemen, we are passing through this area, and as it is dark and raining, we have no choice but to seek shelter here for the night. We apologize for any disturbance and ask for your understanding!"

Initially, Gu Chutong hadn't paid much attention to the coffins in the hall, but Liu Feiyang's sudden gesture made her feel uneasy. She tugged at Gu Mo's sleeve and whispered, "Brother, there aren't any ghosts here, are there?"

Gu Mo nodded seriously and said, "Possibly. With so many coffins and bodies in this manor, most of them unclaimed souls, the resentment is very strong. There's a high possibility they could turn into vengeful ghosts."

Gu Chutong's face turned pale, and then she looked up to see Gu Mo's playful smile. Annoyed, she exclaimed, "Brother, you're so mean! You deliberately scared me!"

Gu Mo chuckled softly, "镖头 Liu's greeting to the dead is merely out of respect for them, not because he actually believes there are ghosts here. I don't know if ghosts truly exist in this world, but I can assure you, even if they do, ghosts cannot be stronger than humans."

"Why not?" Gu Chutong asked.

Gu Mo replied, "If ghosts were stronger, who would still be human? Even if ghosts were stronger, they couldn't harm people, nor could one simply choose to become a ghost. Otherwise, why would there be so much fighting and killing in this world?"

"That's true," Gu Chutong nodded.

A short while later, two escorts went into the courtyard and brought back some wooden planks for the fire. Gu Mo strongly suspected it was coffin wood, but he kept silent.

Just as the fire began to blaze, a sudden clap of thunder, a deafening boom, exploded overhead without warning, making everyone's eardrums ache. Immediately, large raindrops began to patter down, quickly turning into a torrential downpour, striking the roof with a dense, noisy clamor. Lightning occasionally ripped through the night sky, illuminating the room in flickering flashes. The group gathered around the fire, chatting idly, mostly Gu Chutong continuously asking Liu Feiyang and the others about affairs in the Qingzhou jianghu. Liu Feiyang and his men were all locals from Qingzhou and experienced escorts, thus very knowledgeable about the region and privy to much unofficial news, making them more than capable of answering Gu Chutong's questions.

As they chatted, Zhao Hu, the escort sitting furthest inside, suddenly let out a startled cry. Everyone abruptly looked at him, seeing his face ashen white, his eyes wide with terror, and his finger trembling as he stammered, "There's...there's a ghost!"

Following his gaze, they saw a tall, almost unnerving figure standing at the doorway amidst the howling wind and torrential rain. It moved slowly, yet seemed like an invisible mountain pressing down on them, making them gasp for breath. In the darkness, its silhouette twisted and swayed, as if it could pounce and devour them at any moment.

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines, their hair stood on end, and their hearts pounded like drums. For a moment, their expressions were tense, and they unconsciously held their breath. Liu Feiyang and the others instinctively gripped their weapons.

With so many coffins in the manor, the sudden appearance of such a strange figure immediately made everyone think of ghosts.

Just then, Gu Mo, with a calm expression, spoke faintly, "It's alright, it's a person."

His voice was not loud, but steady and powerful, like a tranquilizer that slightly eased their tense nerves.

At that moment, a bolt of lightning slashed across the night sky like a sharp blade, instantly illuminating the entire world as bright as day. In that brief, intense flash, everyone finally saw clearly that it was a burly man. He was tall, his muscles rippled like rocks, and he had a full beard, a rugged and imposing demeanor, utterly devoid of any ghostly eeriness.

The reason the figure had seemed so terrifying earlier was because he was carrying a large box on his back, which from a distance resembled a small coffin, bound with iron chains. Amidst the howling wind and pounding rain, it appeared exceedingly eerie.

Liu Feiyang and the others also let out a slight sigh of relief, but they weren't entirely relaxed. While confirming the figure was human rather than a ghost removed some of their unknown fear of the supernatural, it didn't mean they trusted the person.

Those who ventured into the jianghu, especially escorts, were always on edge when away from home.

All of them quietly drew their weapons.

The man, having undoubtedly seen the people inside the room, stood motionless at the entrance, allowing the heavy rain to drench him. He seemed to be deep in thought, and after a while, he slowly spoke, "Excuse me, are you the master of Righteousness Manor?"

His voice was very low and his speaking pace extremely slow.

However, what he said made Liu Feiyang and the others tense up once more. What normal person would come asking for the master of Righteousness Manor, which had been abandoned for decades?

However, remembering Gu Mo's presence, Liu Feiyang's apprehension lessened somewhat. He rose and walked to the doorway, saying, "Who are you, sir? This place has long been abandoned; it hasn't had an owner for over forty years!"

The burly man asked, puzzled, "Have they moved away?"

Liu Feiyang's doubts deepened. "Do you have any grievances with this Righteousness Manor?" he asked.

The burly man replied, "I'm delivering something. Back then, the master of Righteousness Manor, Chen Tongxuan, commissioned my master to forge a weapon. However, my master was injured at the time, and the weapon was never successfully completed. It wasn't until recently that I finally finished forging it, and my master told me to deliver it."

Liu Feiyang stated gravely, "Then, I'm afraid you won't be able to deliver this weapon. You're over forty years too late. Righteousness Manor was wiped out forty years ago; Chen Tongxuan and all his children were killed."

The burly man was silent for a moment, then asked, "May I come in to take shelter from the rain?"

Although Liu Feiyang found the man rather eccentric, seeing that he was polite and seemingly alone with no ill intentions, he felt less nervous. Not wanting to offend anyone and adhering to the principle that kindness to others benefits oneself, he cupped his hands and said, "This place is ownerless; you are welcome to make yourself at home."

The man, still carrying the large box on his back, walked in. Every step was heavy, and the ropes securing the massive box were stretched extremely taut.

The man entered the hall and, very considerately, moved to a corner. In the dim light, his figure appeared exceptionally robust, like a small, moving mountain.

In the corner, he firmly grasped the iron chains of the box on his back and slowly lowered it. His movements were extremely careful; as the box gradually detached from his back, his body sank slightly, his leg muscles tensed, veins bulged, and the muscles on his sturdy arms bulged like rocks, trembling slightly under the box's weight.

When the box finally touched the ground, a dull thud echoed, like a heavy object plummeting, causing dust to rise from the floor and even shaking the air in the hall. The sound was muffled and weighty, unlike an ordinary wooden box falling; it was more like a coffin filled with iron, and the floor tiles actually sank slightly.

Liu Feiyang and the others' pupils contracted slightly. The burly man, capable of carrying such a heavy box, was certainly no ordinary individual.

Fortunately, the burly man showed no ill will. He clasped his hands in greeting, then leaned silently in the corner.

Just then, rapid hoofbeats echoed from outside, growing louder as they approached, and in a moment, they were just outside the manor. About a dozen women, graceful and exceptionally poised, all dressed in similar martial attire, arrived through the rain. With practiced ease, they dismounted their horses, took their reins, and stepped lightly into the manor.

Although they saw people already in the hall, they didn't bother to greet them. Instead, they strode directly inside. Spotting a pile of dry firewood near Gu Mo's group, a girl of about fifteen or sixteen walked over and commanded, "You few, go start another fire over there. This one is ours."

Immediately, the escort sitting beside Liu Feiyang, bristling with indignation, was about to protest but was restrained by Liu Feiyang. Under the escort's bewildered gaze, Liu Feiyang quickly stood up and said, "Please, ladies. We'll make way."

Having said this, Liu Feiyang quickly whispered to Gu Mo and Gu Chutong, "Hero Gu, Heroine Gu, these are disciples of the Mysterious Maiden Palace. There's no need to offend them!"