Upon careful thought, it seems that the Heartless Ghost Realm might indeed be like this?
Ye Menghua continued, her voice steady:
“The Heartless Ghost Realm has taken in a group of ruthless and vicious individuals, and has become quite a powerful force. The strength of the Manor’s Lord remains a mystery, but I’d imagine they must be above these people, otherwise, how could they possibly keep them in check?”
“I wonder what the Lord of the Manor is scheming?”
Su Lun picked up on her thoughts and couldn’t help but feel that the Heartless Ghost Realm was indeed an intriguing place.
It was practically like the furnace of the Great Supreme Alchemist!
Once he had enough power, he’d definitely visit… though by the time he had that kind of strength, the Nine Deaths Severing Pulse might already be cured.
Su Lun didn’t linger on this thought and instead asked,
“Then what exactly is the Heartless Realm Token?”
“It’s the identification token of the Heartless Ghost Realm.”
Ye Menghua looked at the Heartless Realm Token in her hand, her expression darkening.
“The Heartless Realm Token is a plaque taken from the demon lord’s body by the former Manor Lord. It’s said that the Heartless Ghost Realm uses this token to summon demons into the Manor. Those who receive the token will be led into the Manor, and then they will disappear from the martial world forever.”
“These rumors have been circulating in the martial world for many years.”
“I’ve even heard that some people have witnessed this firsthand.”
“Whether it’s true or not is difficult to say.”
“I see,” Su Lun murmured, now understanding why Ye Menghua had been so shocked upon hearing about the Heartless Realm Token.
Anyone who receives the Heartless Realm Token would enter the Heartless Ghost Realm.
And Zhang Dongxuan, as the leader of the Heavenly King’s Mountain, should have been summoned into the Manor after the destruction of his sect.
The Heartless Realm Token he possessed was the proof of his entry.
But what puzzled him was—if he truly entered the Heartless Ghost Realm, how did he come out again?
Was it because the Manor Lord had given them a task, or had he somehow escaped while the Manor Lord wasn’t looking?
The memory of what happened to that demon lord who fled the Heartless Ghost Realm seventy years ago was still fresh in people’s minds.
“So, Miss Ye, do you suspect that the Heartless Ghost Realm is behind the massacre of the Ye family?”
Su Lun asked thoughtfully. If the Manor Lord had issued the order, there was no need to worry about their hearts being gouged out afterward.
Ye Menghua nodded solemnly, her crescent-shaped brows furrowing together.
“I have my suspicions. Regardless of whether they are true or not, we can’t stay here any longer.”
“Sir, I must head to Cangzhou and inform the family’s old friends of the situation.”
“If the Heartless Ghost Realm really has some dark plans, then what happened to the Ye family is probably just the beginning.”
“Spreading the word early will allow more people in the martial world to prepare and defend themselves.”
Su Lun nodded, glancing at the heavy rain still falling outside the ruined temple.
It was already midnight, but the rain showed no signs of stopping. He whispered,
“Miss Ye, how is your recovery? Can you still travel?”
“I’ve recovered about fifty to sixty percent from my internal injuries, and the external wounds won’t affect my movement.”
“Then let’s leave now.”
With that, Su Lun packed up his things, put on his damp clothes, and grabbed his black bag. He extinguished the remaining fire on the ground.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Then, he looked at the headless corpse, contemplating for a moment before taking a small bottle from his pack. He opened it and sprinkled the powder inside evenly over the corpse.
Ye Menghua watched this strange action and asked,
“Sir… what are you doing?”
“Leaving a reminder.”
Su Lun smiled faintly, and Ye Menghua immediately understood.
The two of them set off, leaving the ruined temple and heading north.
Half an hour after their departure, two figures appeared from the shadows of the night, quickly approaching the temple.
One of them was a tall monk, his face covered in rough features, holding a crescent-shaped spade in his hand. His eyes were like copper bells, scanning the area with a murderous gleam.
On his shoulder sat a small figure, also dressed in black. The person’s face was entirely wrapped in black cloth, leaving only their eyes exposed.
Suddenly, the tall monk stopped in his tracks and pointed at the quiet, ruined temple ahead.
“The person is inside?”
The small figure on his shoulder sniffed the air and nodded.
“Zhang Dongxuan is inside. I can smell his scent.”
“Hmm, and there’s the smell of blood…”
“He must have been chasing this way. Could something have gone wrong?”
The monk furrowed his brow.
“Heh, don’t say that Ye Menghua is already on her last legs. Even if she was at her peak, she wouldn’t be a match for Zhang Dongxuan. What could possibly have gone wrong?”
The small figure grinned, a glint of cunning in their eyes.
The monk nodded, “That’s true… Zhang Dongxuan is indeed strong. His iron palms can split mountains. I just glanced at the temple—there are few signs of a fight.”
The small figure chuckled, and the black cloth around their mouth loosened slightly:
“Could it be that he killed the Ye family girl and is just slacking off here? Let’s go see what trouble he’s causing!”
“Let’s go!”
The monk leaped into action, entering the ruined temple with a graceful leap.
Upon entering the door, they both stopped. The inside of the temple was dim, with the fire long extinguished. Even the smell of burnt wood had dissipated.
The two monks, however, were no ordinary people. Their martial arts were on par with Zhang Dongxuan’s, and their internal energy had been cultivated to a high degree. They had long been able to see in the dark. As they entered the temple, they found a body lying silently on the floor, its arm twisted unnaturally.
Both men froze at the sight.
The older monk, quick-tempered by nature, did not hesitate to step forward and examine the body. His companion, a short, masked man, was more cautious. He used his lightness skills to leap onto the roof, concerned that someone might be lying in ambush from above.
The older monk stopped in front of the body, his eyes scanning it carefully.
“This is Zhang Dongxuan,” he muttered, his tone certain. “I’ve fought him several times within the manor. His iron palms are unmistakable. No way would they escape my eyes.”
He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“What the hell is wrong with this bastard? How could he fail against a little girl who’s already heavily wounded?”
“He’s even had his head chopped off!”
The short, masked man, still crouching on the roof beam, sniffed the air, twitching his nose.
“Blood, roasted chicken… strong liquor…”
“A man’s body odor, a woman’s fragrance of orchid… Hmm, this must be Ye Menghua!”
He paused, then added, “There was another man here at the time… The problem must lie with him.”
His narrow eyes narrowed further, like two slits. “But why is there a faint smell of medicine too?”
Without another word, the masked man jumped down from the beam and began to search the temple, looking for the source of the scent.
The older monk scratched his head, puzzled.
“How did Zhang Dongxuan die? There’s so little blood—he must have been decapitated after death.”
“Ha… And they even stripped him of his outer clothes. What a disgrace.”
As he spoke, he reached out with his free hand—the one not holding the crescent-shaped shovel—and pulled open Zhang Dongxuan’s shirt collar to check for other wounds. Corpses often preserved many clues; wounds caused by swords, blades, and fists could tell them much about what had happened.
Just as he was about to examine further, the short, masked man let out a sharp gasp.
“Stop! Don’t touch the body! Someone’s tampered with it!”
“What?” The older monk’s face turned pale, and he immediately withdrew his hand—but it was too late.
A streak of dark purple energy was already spreading through his palm, traveling along his meridians.
“What the hell is this poison!?”
