Chapter 197: Chapter 196: An Incident While Paying Respects

After sending Hu Yufei on her way, Gu Zhao went to the pavilion, stretched languidly, and sat down beside Zhuo Qingyan.

Zhuo Qingyan turned to look at Gu Zhao, a smile in her eyes. "If you hadn’t come out of seclusion soon, Yufei would have worried herself to death."

Gu Zhao nodded. "She certainly was anxious. Her eyes were all red."

Zhuo Qingyan smiled without a word, simply turning her hand over to reveal a handful of fish food, which she placed in Gu Zhao’s palm.

Gu Zhao casually tossed a handful into the water, watching the koi in the river swarm over to snatch it up. Then he asked Zhuo Qingyan, "When are we going to pay respects to your father?"

The smile on Zhuo Qingyan’s face brightened considerably, and she too tossed a handful of fish food into the water. "The day after tomorrow."

Gu Zhao nodded. "I’ll ask Martial Uncle Jing Feng to come with us."

"There’s no need to trouble Martial Uncle Jing Feng. I’ve already asked him for Yuan Wenrui’s soul."

Zhuo Qingyan reached for the leather pouch at her waist, swiped her hand across it, and took out the Ten Thousand Ghosts Banner. With a gentle shake, a translucent, ethereal face appeared on the banner’s surface—it was Yuan Wenrui.

The moment Gu Zhao saw Yuan Wenrui, Yuan Wenrui saw him too. The soul’s face was a mask of agony and pleading as he stared at Gu Zhao, his mouth opening and closing ceaselessly, though no sound came out.

Gu Zhao glanced at him, raised his right hand, and snapped his fingers.

"CRACKLE!"

A flicker of electricity sparked at his fingertips, frightening Yuan Wenrui into a silent scream. He instinctively tried to shrink back into the Ten Thousand Ghosts Banner, but perhaps recalling the horrors within it, he froze in place.

"Don’t be afraid," Gu Zhao said to Yuan Wenrui with a smile. "You won’t have to suffer for much longer. The day after tomorrow, we’re going to pay our respects to my lady’s father. We’ll obliterate your soul then, ensuring you can never be reincarnated."

Yuan Wenrui was speechless.

He seemed to want to say something more, but Zhuo Qingyan had already shaken the Ten Thousand Ghosts Banner again, and with a SWOOSH, his soul was sucked back inside.

Gu Zhao stood up and said to Zhuo Qingyan, "Spring has brought warmth and blossoms, and all life is stirring again. Let’s go for a walk."

After spending another pleasant day with Zhuo Qingyan, Gu Zhao set off with her toward Xiuyue County.

Inside the carriage, Gu Zhao, Zhuo Qingyan, the Silk Embroideress, and Bai Ke sat in a row. The driver, however, was not Taoist Yan Song, nor was it Li Erping, who was now a foreman at Daluo Palace. Instead, it was another Daoist from Daluo Palace.

This Daoist was not a bandit, but a Martial Arts Expert committed to Righteousness and Heroism. He had encountered injustice on the road and drawn his sword to help, but found himself outnumbered and was nearly killed in the ensuing siege by bandits.

Fortunately, Taoist Yan Song, who was also practicing heroism in the area, saved him with a mere wave of his hand. The man then kowtowed, pledged himself as a disciple, and joined Daluo Palace. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

After the Great New Year’s Rite, he was taught the Supreme Meridian Breathing Technique and the True Qi Eight-section Brocade. However, whether due to a lack of innate talent or simply insufficient time, he had yet to show any results.

Still, his character was excellent. He was hardworking and uncomplaining, and he could handle common thugs on the road without needing Gu Zhao to intervene. Thus, he became their coachman, responsible for driving Gu Zhao’s carriage.

Recalling the envious gazes of his fellow disciples, Mu Jie couldn’t help but smile.

"What are you smiling about? Did you think of something happy?" Bai Ke suddenly poked their head out and asked.

Mu Jie quickly suppressed his smile. "It’s nothing. I was just thinking about sparring with a few of my martial brothers yesterday. Do you have an order for me, Lord Bai?"

Bai Ke was very pleased with the title "Lord Bai." They gave a solemn nod before pointing ahead. "Go past that mountain pass and turn onto the small path. We’re not going into the city."

"Yes!" Mu Jie nodded firmly.

He had helped prepare the incense and joss paper that morning, so he naturally knew the purpose of their trip. He gave the reins a gentle shake, urging the horses to a slightly faster pace. ’We’ll definitely make it before noon,’ he thought.

Bai Ke pulled back inside and peered through the curtain at the road, which was now noticeably busier with carriages and pedestrians. "It looks like we’ve cleaned out all the bandits around here."

The Silk Embroideress smiled, pressing her lips together. "Our base is on Cuiluo Mountain, so Wuhe County and Xiuyue County were the first to become safe. I heard that after spring arrived, merchants from as far as Celestial Spring Prefecture and Shide Prefecture have started coming here to do business."

"Celestial Spring Prefecture... Shide Prefecture..." Gu Zhao stroked his chin. "We’re separated from Shide Prefecture by the Yongning River, and from Celestial Spring Prefecture by Wuya Ridge. Are there really that many merchants?"

Zhuo Qingyan looked outside. "It’s precisely because we’re separated by treacherous mountains and dangerous waters that there are so many merchants!"

Gu Zhao thought for a moment and realized she was right.

As they chatted idly, the carriage turned onto a mountain road. After a series of twists and turns, it arrived at a remote location.

The Silk Embroideress was the first to get out, asking curiously, "Isn’t her father buried in the Xiuyue County cemetery?"

Zhuo Qingyan disembarked gracefully, her voice somber. "My father died wronged. Everyone thought he was a criminal. If it weren’t for a few of his conscientious disciples, his body would have been thrown into a mass grave.

But even so, he could only be buried in this remote place, not among the common folk."

Gu Zhao got out of the carriage and looked around. He saw that the burial ground was not only remote, but it also had few decent graves or headstones. Most were simple, hasty burials, and there were few signs of visitors paying their respects.

’This is for the best, though,’ Gu Zhao thought. ’At least when we’re dealing with Yuan Wenrui, we won’t have to worry about frightening any ordinary people.’

Mu Jie was very perceptive. After getting down from the carriage, he immediately began to tidy up. He quickly cleared the area around the gravestone of Zhuo Qingyan’s parents and set up an Incense Altar with an Incense Burner, Offering Fruit, and alcohol.

Once everything was ready, the group gathered before the gravestone.

The Silk Embroideress handed several sticks of incense to everyone. Gu Zhao gave a slight wave of his hand, and the incense in their hands lit up, the curling green smoke drifting up with the wind and scattering around the cemetery.

"Father, Mother, your unfilial daughter has finally come to see you."

Zhuo Qingyan held the incense, her voice tinged with sorrow. "For thirty years, your daughter wallowed in self-pity, only wanting to escape. I lived in a daze and have disappointed you."

At this, Zhuo Qingyan turned to Gu Zhao. "Fortunately, Brother Gu saved my life, helped your daughter see clearly, and even found the enemy who wronged you both."

Gu Zhao raised his incense and bowed his head slightly in respect. Zhuo Qingyan continued, "Now, your daughter has been given a new life and can finally face you."

The group placed their incense sticks into the burner and bowed once more in reverence.

Zhuo Qingyan took out the Ten Thousand Ghosts Banner and, with a gentle shake, flung Yuan Wenrui’s soul out. It fell to its knees before the gravestone.

"Yuan Wenrui, lift your head and look," Zhuo Qingyan said indifferently.

Yuan Wenrui involuntarily raised his head and saw the inscription on the gravestone. Though weathered by wind and rain, the characters were still discernible.

[Tomb of Zhuo Jifeng and his wife, of the Shi Zhuo Clan]

"Ma... Master..." Yuan Wenrui’s lips twitched, his expression caught between a sob and a laugh.

"Master? You still have the audacity to call my late father ’Master’?" Zhuo Qingyan’s eyes sharpened. Scenes from all those years ago flashed before her eyes. She raised her palm, about to shatter Yuan Wenrui’s soul.

Just then, Gu Zhao spun around. He saw a flash of green light in the nearby woods, and a suction force suddenly pulled at Yuan Wenrui’s soul, trying to drag it away.

But before Gu Zhao could act, Zhuo Qingyan waved her hand, recalling Yuan Wenrui into the Ten Thousand Ghosts Banner.

"The soul of a Mage isn’t easy to come by. Since you don’t want it, milady, why not give it to me?" a slightly teasing voice called out. "I guarantee I’ll make this person’s suffering extremely... comfortable. It’ll be a great way for you to vent your anger."