Chapter 276 150: Mark (Part 2)

"So that's how it is..."

Jiang Ran nodded, but his brows furrowed even more tightly.

'Twenty years ago...'

'Twenty years ago, on a snowy night, I was found and taken home by an old drunkard.'

'Twenty years ago, the previous Ghost King was grievously wounded in a battle with an unknown foe.'

'Is this all a coincidence? Or did something truly momentous happen that winter, twenty years ago?'

As the thought crossed his mind, he glanced at the Ghost King again.

The Ghost King's eyes were filled with impatience. He waved a hand.

"If you have any more questions, ask them all at once!"

"...It's nothing. I was just wondering, where is the Slaughter Tower? Could I go see it?"

Jiang Ran smiled, showing not the slightest hint of embarrassment as he spoke.

The Ghost King glanced at him and sighed.

"You can. I'll take you there myself."

"Thank you."

A flash of delight crossed Jiang Ran's face.

He wasn't sure why he had to see the Slaughter Tower, but after hearing so much, he felt he wouldn't be at ease until he saw it for himself.

The group set off at once, following the Ghost King toward the Slaughter Tower.

The 'Evil Ghosts' that had been surrounding the Ghost King Palace had long been dispersed by the Ghost King.

The streets now showed signs of 'ghostly' activity, but the inhabitants seemed dazed. They gathered in twos and threes, going about their business, yet unable to stop discussing the recent events.

Seeing the Ghost King parading a group of living humans through their streets sparked even more debate.

Along the way, Ruan Yuqing provided an answer to the question Jiang Ran had raised earlier.

When Master Bi Chen first saw Ruan Yuqing, he had mentioned having a history with the Shuiyue Sword Sect.

Of course, this was not a history of friendship, but of a bitter grudge.

Ruan Yuqing told Jiang Ran that Master Bi Chen was a lecher. Since the Shuiyue Sword Sect was composed entirely of women, it was inevitable that he would set his sights on them.

A senior of her sect had an unfortunate encounter with him and was ultimately killed by his hand.

After learning the truth, the entire Shuiyue Sword Sect was united, swearing a feud to the death with Master Bi Chen.

They had hunted and cornered him several times, but he always managed to escape.

Later, as his crimes became more widely known, he became an outcast in the martial world and vanished without a trace.

Of course, they all knew now that he had actually fled to the Heartless Ghost Mansion.

Ruan Yuqing had never expected to run into him here.

But the moment he used the "Misty Verdure of the Cyan Mountains" technique, his identity was revealed.

It was only natural that she would seek revenge for her sect's elder.

Jiang Ran nodded. "Kill him if you want. You're the ones who captured him. Just leave his head for me when you're done."

"For this, the Shuiyue Sword Sect will be indebted to you."

Ruan Yuqing chuckled lightly. "I still haven't repaid my debt to Hongye Manor, and now it seems I just keep owing more and more."

"Well, if you really can't pay it back, you could always offer to marry him."

That wasn't Jiang Ran speaking. It was Li Tianxin, muttering as he rolled his eyes.

Ruan Yuqing paused, glanced at Jiang Ran, then shook her head repeatedly.

"Setting aside Miss Ye... even if she weren't in the picture, I'm still two or three years older than him. If I offered myself in marriage, wouldn't that be repaying his kindness with cruelty?"

Jiang Ran shot a look at Li Tianxin and said with a smile,

"Li Tianxin, once we leave the Ghost King Palace, you and I should have a nice, long talk, shouldn't we?"

"..."

Li Tianxin instantly lost all desire to speak.

As they chatted idly, the Ghost King soon led them to the gate of a large courtyard.

Jiang Ran's brow furrowed slightly. He looked around but saw no sign of a tower.

The Ghost King, however, simply pushed open the courtyard gate. With a loud CREAK, the scene within was revealed to all.

Looking at the rubble and ruined walls in the center of the courtyard, Jiang Ran glanced at the Ghost King.

"It collapsed?"

"Yes."

The Ghost King nodded.

"The tower collapsed right after my martial uncle came out of it all those years ago."

"It seems he triggered some sort of mechanism."

"That's why he was so grievously wounded."

"The Slaughter Tower holds a special significance for the Ghost King Palace. So, my grandmaster forbade anyone from cleaning this place up, leaving the ruins as they were."

"My master, however, said it's because Grandmaster couldn't bear to let go of my martial uncle. He left the ruins as a memento, an anchor for his memories."

Jiang Ran sighed softly.

"Then what's here to see..."

"We're already here, so you might as well look around."

The Ghost King said,

"And after you've had your look, it'll be time for you to leave."

Jiang Ran said nothing and stepped into the courtyard.

He had just stepped through the gate when he heard a short, sharp scream from outside. 'Ruan Yuqing must have executed Master Bi Chen,' he thought.

Jiang Ran paid it no mind. The man was going to die anyway.

Whether it was sooner or later made no difference.

Walking among the ruins, Jiang Ran's gaze drifted over the broken bricks and tiles, not quite knowing what he was looking for.

He let out a soft sigh. Just as he was about to turn and leave, his brow suddenly furrowed.

He slowly traced the path his gaze had just traveled, his eyes moving back... finally landing on a section of a broken wall.

There was a mark on the broken wall...

The mark was peculiar. It was clearly not a cut made by a blade, yet it was suffused with blade intent.

It looked as if someone had used their finger as a blade to carve it.

Jiang Ran stared quietly at the mark. A moment later, a flash of blade light seemed to reflect in the depths of his eyes.

He instantly used the Celestial Nine Steps, trying to dodge.

But he discovered the blade strike followed him like a shadow. Neither the Celestial Nine Steps nor the Hidden Shadow Enchanting God Step could take him beyond its reach.

'How can this be?'

Jiang Ran steadied himself, circulating the Righteous Heart of Creation Scripture.

His mind cleared. He had thought the illusion of the blade would vanish, but instead, the blade's aura reflected in his eyes only grew sharper.