Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

”The Heartless Ghost Mansion is far more mysterious than this Ghost King Palace of yours.”

Jiang Ran shot him a glance.

”But you needn’t concern yourself with that. The Heartless Ghost Mansion took a heavy blow this time, after all...”

”Their Mansion Lord was gravely injured, which is why so many of the ghouls and specters within escaped.”

”The one we’re seeing now is one of them.”

”I just never expected that after fleeing the Heartless Ghost Mansion, he would set his sights on your Ghost King Palace.”

”If this were the Ghost King Palace of twenty-odd years ago, I wouldn’t have dared to be so audacious here, not even on pain of death.”

Zhuge Mingyu chuckled.

”A pity, then, that the Ghost King Palace is not what it once was.”

”Back then, that person was able to take eight of the Twelve Generals of the Floating Life Palace with them. How could the remaining four not start getting ideas of their own?”

”It wasn’t difficult to sway them.”

”Especially someone like Prince Yu...”

”So, you resorted to seduction?”

Jiang Ran was suddenly reminded of what Liu Xiao’e had told him.

At his words, Zhuge Mingyu’s expression turned foul.

Realization dawned on Jiang Ran.

”It really was you. To get what you want, you’ll truly stop at nothing.”

”Hmph. Those who achieve great things don’t sweat the small stuff.”

Zhuge Mingyu sneered.

”What Prince Yu and his ilk want isn’t the martial world; they want this Ghost King Palace. We, on the other hand... just want a place to take shelter.”

”It’s just a pity that the Ghost King’s Eternal Hundred Floating Diagrams are so fearsome.”

”But we never expected Young Hero Jiang to suddenly send a message from Three Rivers County, claiming to possess the Jiaowei zither and planning to host a tea and music gathering at Sunset Plateau on Three Immortals Mountain.”

”That’s when we got the idea to kill someone with a borrowed knife...”

Jiang Ran nodded.

”Just as I thought. Hmm, for you to have told me this much, you must have another trick up your sleeve to be sitting there so confidently.”

”Why not play your hand, so we can settle this once and for all?”

”...”

Zhuge Mingyu gave Jiang Ran another surprised look, an inexplicable sense of defeat rising in his heart.

’Strictly speaking, tonight’s plan wasn’t all that meticulous.’

’But by first using the ghostly aura as a deception, followed by a rapid series of incidents, we left them no time to think through the critical details.’

’That was how we were able to succeed in one fell swoop.’

’Yet in such a short time, Jiang Ran not only pieced together the entire sequence of events but also figured out every one of our plots and arrangements.’

’He even turned our own scheme against us, luring the snake from its hole.’

’And now, with a single sentence, he’s exposed the fact that I still have a final move to play.’

’It seems that no matter what I do, nothing escapes his eyes.’

’That ability to see through everything, all while feigning such indifference... it’s truly chilling.’

At this thought, Zhuge Mingyu sighed.

”I really shouldn’t have picked you for an opponent...”

As he spoke, the sound of incessant footsteps arose from all around.

The Ghost King’s brow furrowed, his gaze lifting to look outside the Throne Hall.

He saw them swarming from every direction: ’Evil Ghosts’ with deathly pale faces, their cheeks smeared with thick rouge.

”Preposterous!”

The Ghost King flew into a rage.

”This is the Throne Hall! How dare you trespass without being summoned?”

”I said you weren’t very bright, and you’re really playing the part of a fool to perfection.”

Jiang Ran shot him a look.

”They’re either being controlled by someone, or... they’ve completely betrayed you.”

”The way I see it, your Eternal Town shouldn’t be this quiet on a typical night.”

”There were no ’ghosts’ in town tonight because they were all gathered in one place, just waiting for this final moment to seize the Ghost King Palace!”

As he spoke, the ’Evil Ghosts’ had already charged into the Throne Hall.

”Insolence!”

The Ghost King’s eyes grew cold. His figure blurred into motion, robes billowing as he thrust out both palms. Several of the ’Evil Ghosts’ who had just burst in froze, their faces turning ashen as Cyan and Black patterns spread across their bodies before they dropped dead on the spot.

”This is the hallowed ground of the Throne Hall! Trespassers die!”

However, these ’Evil Ghosts’ completely ignored the once high and mighty Ghost King.

Each one charged forward, fearless of death.

The Ghost King paused in thought, took a deep breath, and plunged into the crowd.

His sleeves danced as he used a series of taps and jabs to restrain their movements.

’At first, I killed them as a warning. But their fearlessness, their complete disregard for my words... it means this isn’t a simple betrayal.’

’Otherwise, they would show at least some fear.’

’To be so willing to throw their lives away, they must be under some kind of spell.’

For that reason, he began to hold back, his strikes becoming as merciful as possible.

Zhuge Mingyu’s figure swayed. With a strange, stumbling step, he began to retreat.

’Tonight’s events can no longer end peacefully.’

’Against opponents like Jiang Ran and the Ghost King, the men under my control are far from enough.’

’The best plan now is to use this chaos to escape.’

But he had barely turned when he found the saber wielder already standing before him.

His hand resting on the hilt of his saber, he slowly placed the head of Boundless Life on the ground and let out a soft chuckle.

”Where do you think you’re going, Brother Zhuge?”

”Just for a stroll. Young Hero Jiang, aren’t you going to help him?”

Zhuge Mingyu gestured in the Ghost King’s direction.

”Are we friends?”

Jiang Ran chuckled. ”This is their internal affair. It’s not my place to get involved. On the other hand, that head on your shoulders, Brother Zhuge... now, that I’m very interested in. If you’re feeling generous, why not chop it off yourself and present it to me?”

”Fine, then.”

Zhuge Mingyu let out a soft breath. ”I’ve long wanted to witness Young Hero Jiang’s saber skills for myself... After you!”

Though he said ”After you,” he was the one who struck first.