Chapter 148: Divine Weapon Villa

Nangong Yuexi quickly walked towards Gu Mo, bowed respectfully, and said, "Nangong Yuexi of Shenbing Villa greets Sir Gu and Lady Gu. Please, Sir Gu and Lady Gu, do not misunderstand; I am not here to stop you two. I merely wish to plead for mercy. If I have caused any offense, I apologize in advance."

Gu Mo calmly stated, "The Eldest Miss of Shenbing Villa is not qualified to plead for mercy before me."

Gu Mo's tone was calm, yet his words were utterly blunt, showing no regard for Nangong Yuexi or Shenbing Villa.

However, Nangong Yuexi showed no displeasure. She quickly said, "Sir Gu is right to admonish me. You are a paramount figure in the martial world; Shenbing Villa and I are indeed not worthy of your consideration. However, I wish to offer something in exchange for your mercy."

"What is it?"

Nangong Yuexi quickly explained, "An Ice Soul. I heard from the Six-Door Bureau that your Gouchen Saber requires an Ice Soul to suppress its violent nature. Our Shenbing Villa happens to possess an Ice Soul, which we are willing to present to you, Sir Gu, in exchange for your leniency. Would that be acceptable? If not, I will immediately withdraw and promise not to disturb you further."

Gu Mo slowly replied, "It is acceptable."

Nangong Yuexi let out a sigh of relief.

"However," Gu Mo continued, "if you dare to deceive me, neither Shenbing Villa nor even your fiancé Ye Jinglan will be able to protect you."

"Naturally, I would not dare to deceive you," Nangong Yuexi replied.

Immediately, Gu Mo waved his hand at the martial artists who were already terrified, saying, "All of you, leave." Then, Gu Mo channeled his inner energy and used the Lion's Roar Skill, not with a shout, but with a calm, clear voice, stating, "I will say this one last time: the Gouchen Saber is not the divine blade of legend; it is a violent and malevolent weapon, currently sealed by me, and I am seeking a way to suppress its evil nature.

Furthermore, and most importantly, this Gouchen Saber was seized by me from the evil expert Bai Ying. The Mystical Maiden Palace can attest to this. This blade is my spoils of war. If anyone else tries to demand this blade from me under the guise of some martial world rumor, they are attempting to snatch it from my hands. At that point, whether you live or die will depend on your own abilities. If anyone believes they can seize the blade from Gu Mo, then by all means, come and try."

Gu Mo's voice was calm, yet it managed to reach everyone along the entire long street.

For a moment, the street fell into profound silence.

Nangong Yuexi quickly said, "Rest assured, Sir Gu. I will ensure that Shenbing Villa, the Mystical Maiden Palace, and the Heavenly Blade Sect all swiftly debunk these rumors. You will certainly not be troubled by such groundless gossip again. I will also handle today's affairs here, ensuring no one will seek you out regarding this incident in the future!"

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "Then I thank you."

Immediately, Nangong Yuexi beckoned, calling over several Shenbing Villa disciples. She instructed them, "Go at once and deal with the bodies in the inn and on the street. Treat those who can be healed, and console those who need it."

"Understood."

At once, the Shenbing Villa disciples began to carry out the tasks.

"Oh, and one more thing," Nangong Yuexi added, "don't forget to compensate the inn for its losses as well." She then looked at Gu Mo, cupped her hands, and asked, "Sir Gu, Lady Gu, perhaps you would like to come with me to my home now to retrieve the Ice Soul?"

Gu Mo nodded.

Nangong Yuexi immediately instructed a maidservant behind her, "Hurry back and tell my father that esteemed guests are arriving, and have the household prepare for their welcome."

The maidservant promptly departed.

Afterward, Gu Mo and Gu Chudong returned to the inn to collect their personal belongings.

Nangong Yuexi followed them to the inn.

At this moment, the inn was in disarray, permeated by the scent of blood.

Nangong Yuexi, however, showed no discomfort and entered the inn without hesitation. Just as she stepped inside, she happened to see Lin Qixia approaching with several women from the Mystical Maiden Palace.

Nangong Yuexi quickly cupped her hands in greeting towards Lin Qixia and called out, "Senior Sister Lin, you..."

However, Lin Qixia bypassed Nangong Yuexi directly and cupped her hands towards Gu Mo, saying, "Sir Gu, since Shenbing Villa possesses the Ice Soul, I will no longer interfere in the matter of the demon blade. I will now focus entirely on searching for Qi Miaoxuan's whereabouts. If I find any information, I will certainly inform you immediately."

Gu Mo cupped his hands and replied, "Then I thank you, Fairy Lin."

"Farewell." Lin Qixia cupped her hands and departed.

After taking only two steps, she suddenly turned her head to look at Nangong Yuexi, uttered a curse word, and then left directly.

In the inn's main hall, Nangong Yuexi looked awkward, giving a forced smile as she explained to Gu Mo, "My apologies, Sir Gu. Senior Sister Lin is a straightforward and passionate person, but she is truly a good individual. There's a slight misunderstanding between us, and we've been having a bit of a disagreement lately. Please excuse my embarrassment!"

Gu Mo shook his head slightly and said, "It's nothing." After a moment's thought, Gu Mo asked again, "However, Fairy Nangong, I have a question. The Ice Soul is a rare and invaluable heavenly treasure. I find it difficult to understand why your Shenbing Villa is willing to part with it. Of course, if Fairy Nangong is simply acting out of public spirit and compassion to save those foolish individuals today, then consider my question unasked."

Nangong Yuexi slowly replied, "To be frank, Sir Gu, requesting your mercy is indeed one reason, as many of the martial artists who offended you earlier have close ties with our Shenbing Villa. However, the allure of a divine weapon was too great, causing them to recklessly take risks, and my father simply couldn't dissuade them. He worried about a potential conflict, which is why he sent me to mediate.

Another reason is my father's personal desire. My father has forged weapons his entire life and possesses an almost obsessive dedication to divine weapons. Some time ago, after Lin Qixia sent back news of the Gouchen Demon Blade to the Mystical Maiden Palace, I learned the specific details and informed my father.

Since then, my father has been unable to eat or sleep, vexed by the idea that such a powerful divine weapon as the Gouchen Demon Blade remains uncontrollable. To him, it's like a blemish appearing on a piece of pure, flawless white jade, disturbing his peace of mind.

My father is not a martial arts expert, and he does not covet divine weapons, but he cannot tolerate such a weapon having a flaw. Therefore, after much deliberation, his obsession ultimately triumphed over his reason. He knows the Ice Soul is valuable, but he desires even more to leave his mark on a divine weapon worthy of being recorded in history. Thus, he decided to offer the Ice Soul he had treasured for many years. Before this, even I was unaware he possessed such a precious treasure."

Gu Mo said in surprise, "Your esteemed father's pursuit of his craft is indeed remarkably tenacious!"

Gu Mo understood. There were always people in the world who developed obsessions with certain things. For instance, Wu Liuzhi, the sword fanatic of the Wu family in Yunzhou, and Li Qiuyu, the Sword Master of Qiushan Sword School, were prime examples of individuals so dedicated to the sword that it became an obsession.

Such people were quite common in the martial world; it was simply the object of their obsession that differed. For example, Zhuo Qingfeng was also such a person; he was obsessed with one individual, and because of a youthful affection, he remained unmarried in his early forties.

And from Nangong Yuexi's account, her father, Nangong Qun, the Master of Shenbing Villa, was also an obsessive person, but his obsession was with weapons.

After a brief exchange with Nangong Yuexi, Gu Mo went upstairs with Gu Chudong to pack their belongings.

"Brother," Gu Chudong said while packing, "if I didn't know about Nangong Yuexi stealing Senior Sister's man, I would definitely think she's a wonderful person. Look at her, she's as beautiful as a fairy, her personality is gentle, and she's straightforward in her words and actions. Even just now, Lin Qixia completely disrespected her, yet she didn't say anything bad about Lin Qixia. Sigh, she has high martial arts, a good family background, a good personality, she's beautiful, and she's well-educated and sensible. How could such a perfect person do something so dishonorable?"

Gu Mo smiled faintly and said, "Many things, in truth, cannot be fully explained. We don't know the whole picture, do we? Of course, these matters are not our concern. We should just do our own things and not dwell on others' affairs.

You don't need to harbor any prejudice against Nangong Yuexi because of Lin Qixia's situation, nor do you need to sympathize with Lin Qixia because of what she endured. We are, in fact, merely bystanders who happen to know a little about their entanglement."

"Oh, I understand, Brother," Gu Chudong nodded, "Don't worry, I won't say anything, nor will I do anything."

Soon, the siblings finished packing. Of course, it was mainly Gu Chudong who had packed; she carried a large scholar's box containing the famous swords Qiushui and Lingxi, a Qianji box, and the Underworld Ephemeral Flower, along with their changes of clothes and other items.

Not long after, led by Nangong Yuexi, they arrived at a secluded area within the city. From a distance, a vast estate could be seen, with a plaque above its entrance bearing four grand characters written in a flourishing calligraphic style: "Shenbing Villa."

Inside the villa, a festive atmosphere prevailed, with lanterns and decorations adorning everything. Many servants and attendants were busy preparing, as Nangong Yuexi, the Eldest Miss of Shenbing Villa, was due to be married in three or four days.

However, at this moment, the central gate of Shenbing Villa stood wide open, with a red carpet laid directly into the large courtyard.

Master Nangong Qun, along with many high-ranking members of Shenbing Villa, were personally waiting outside, attracting much surprised speculation.

Before long, a group of people appeared. They were from Shenbing Villa, led by the Gu siblings and Nangong Yuexi.

Nangong Qun immediately led the high-ranking members forward."Welcome, Sir Gu, to Shenbing Villa! Your presence graces us immensely!""Greetings, Sir Gu."All the Shenbing Villa members hastily bowed in respect.

Gu Mo cupped his hands and said, "Greetings to all fellow martial artists, and Master Nangong. I apologize for the intrusion."

"No intrusion at all, no intrusion."

When Nangong Qun looked up, Gu Chudong, standing beside Gu Mo, was slightly startled, somewhat shocked, because Nangong Qun's face was completely covered in scars; hardly a patch of unblemished skin could be seen on his entire face.

Nangong Qun noticed Gu Chudong's reaction and gave a wry smile, explaining, "Lady Gu, you must be startled by my face. My sincerest apologies!"

Gu Chudong felt a pang of guilt and quickly said, "No, no..."

Nangong Qun cupped his hands and said, "Twenty years ago, to forge a perfect sword, I guarded the sword furnace for over seven hundred days. However, just as it was about to take its final form, intruders broke in. It was a critical moment, and fearing the sword would be destroyed, I rushed into the flames. My entire body was burned, and my face became like this."

"And, was the sword successful?"

Nangong Qun shook his head and replied, "Ultimately, it failed. Since then, I've tried to forge another one all these years, but I've never succeeded. However, it no longer matters. No matter how I forge, it can never compare to the blade forged by the Weapon Saint over forty years..."

As he spoke, Nangong Qun couldn't help but swallow, then tremblingly pointed at the iron case on Gu Mo's back and asked, "Sir Gu, this... this must be that blade, isn't it? I... I can hear the heartbeat of the blade!"