Chapter 274 - 149: Martial Uncle

"In any case, from what I can see, it doesn’t seem like you’re forcibly keeping them here."

"...Of course not."

The Ghost King’s brow furrowed slightly.

"My Ghost King Palace has existed for several hundred years."

"Initially, it was just a refuge built by a group of people with nowhere to turn—unwanted by the world of the living and unaccepted by the realm of the dead."

"Neither travelers of the mortal world nor souls of the underworld, we became the ghosts of Eternal."

"Afterward, more and more people like us gathered, and the Ghost King Palace grew larger and larger."

"Eventually, it transformed from the Ghost King Palace into Eternal Town."

"Most of the people here are in a similar situation."

"We live in seclusion and do not welcome outsiders. If anyone stumbles upon this place by mistake, we scare them away."

"Even master martial artists are repelled by the Enchanting Ghost Wall."

"All we seek is a moment of peace."

"So, if they wanted to leave the Ghost King Palace, you wouldn’t actually force them to stay?"

Jiang Ran glanced at him.

"Why would I force them?"

The Ghost King snorted coldly.

"However, if they want to leave the Ghost King Palace, they must first pass through the Enchanting Ghost Wall to forget their past."

"In more extreme cases, I must personally act to erase all traces of the Ghost King Palace from their minds before they are allowed to leave."

"No wonder there are so few rumors about the Ghost King Palace in the martial world..."

Jiang Ran nodded and glanced at Master Bi Chen, who had been brought before them.

"However, I’m afraid the secret of the Enchanting Order has already been broken."

"The weapons of those six dice-freaks all have the Enchanting Order on them, yet this Master Bi Chen seems completely unaffected..."

"..."

The Ghost King’s expression turned grim, and he sighed softly.

"The Enchanting Order is, in the end, just a martial art. And since it is a martial art, there is a way to break it."

"That’s not surprising... Besides, since they were able to ally with the likes of Prince Yu and Quan the Seventh, I’m afraid they already know the Ghost King Palace inside and out."

"That makes sense."

Jiang Ran nodded and looked up at Ruan Yuqing.

Ruan Yuqing sized him up from head to toe, then finally smiled.

"I really thought you were injured. After all, the Ghost King is no ordinary opponent. I underestimated you."

"Miss Ruan, is there some history between you and this Master Bi Chen?"

Jiang Ran asked casually.

Ruan Yuqing’s brow furrowed, and she gently pinched the bridge of her nose.

Just then, the Ghost King flicked his finger, and an invisible force struck three acupoints on Ruan Yuqing’s chest.

Jiang Ran raised an eyebrow and shot him a look.

Looking back at Ruan Yuqing, he saw her let out a long breath.

"The weapons in those dice-freaks’ hands are truly dangerous... Even if they weren’t aimed at me, they still had quite an effect."

"Thank you, Senior Ghost King."

"Hmph."

The Ghost King snorted coldly. "I cannot reveal the secret of the Enchanting Order, but I have already shown you how to counter it."

Those three acupoints were the key to breaking the Enchanting Order and rendering oneself immune to its effects.

Jiang Ran nodded.

"Lord Ghost King, you are straightforward. In that case, I will tell you how to use this Gu Flute."

"In truth, this may look like just a flute, but it’s not... The Di Clan uses Gu, and every type of Gu corresponds to a specific Gu Flute."

"And hidden within each Gu Flute is actually a mother Gu."

"It looks like one is playing the flute, but in reality, they are issuing commands through the mother Gu..."

He didn’t go back on his word, and proceeded to explain the method of operating the Gu Flute to the Ghost King in great detail.

The Ghost King listened intently, then tried it out for himself. After confirming that Jiang Ran knew what he was talking about and wasn’t just spouting nonsense, he finally nodded.

But he couldn’t help but ask:

"Is there no way to break this Gu?"

"There probably is."

Jiang Ran said.

"It’s just rather troublesome... Besides, as long as you have the Gu Flute, it’s not a major issue even if you can’t remove the Gu."

"The Gu Insect will remain dormant in the passages of the brain on a normal day."

"It won’t affect daily life..."

"But it remains a potential threat."

The Ghost King’s brows were knitted tightly. "It’s a pity. The four—Birth, Age, Sickness, and Death—left with that person all those years ago. Otherwise, with their skills, what would a mere Gu poison matter..."

’Birth, Age, Sickness, Death... part of the Twelve Generals of the Floating Life Palace?’

Jiang Ran was rather curious about this.

"Are those four skilled physicians?"

"They are grandmasters of the path of poison!"

The Ghost King said, "Their healing skills aren’t great, but when it comes to every poison under the heavens, they know them like the back of their hands, able to list them like family treasures."

"..."

Jiang Ran felt that this sounded somewhat familiar.

’Isn’t that my usual impression of the old drunkard?’

’The Twelve Generals of the Floating Life Palace... Eat, Drink, Whore, Gamble; Joy, Anger, Sorrow, Pleasure; Birth, Age, Sickness, Death.’

’It’s a strange match for my own old drunkard.’

He blinked his eyes, then frowned.

"It couldn’t be such a coincidence, could it?"

"What?"

Hearing his voice, the Ghost King glanced at him.

Jiang Ran was about to shake his head, but after a moment of silence, he couldn’t resist asking:

"If I may be so bold as to ask... who was that great figure who left the Ghost King Palace all those years ago?"

"That is a secret of my Eternal Town... But, never mind."

The Ghost King sighed. "If not for you tonight, I’m afraid Eternal Town would have already changed masters."

"The person you speak of was my martial uncle."

"I have never met him... I only know that he was a peerless genius."

"By the age of fifteen, he had already cultivated the Eternal Hundred Floating Diagrams to an extremely profound level."

"Everyone believed he would surely be the next Ghost King."

"Even my master, his senior martial brother, held him in the highest regard."

"But perhaps, from the very beginning, he was never suited to be the Ghost King."

"His favorite thing was never martial arts..."

"What did he like?"

Jiang Ran asked cautiously.

"He liked... eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling..."

As the Ghost King spoke, his voice grew much quieter.

It seemed he felt a bit ashamed.