Suren truly knew little about the Heartless Ghost Realm.
He had lived with the old drunkard for twenty years, and because of the incident with the "Nine Deaths and Broken Veins" technique, the old drunkard had never allowed him to step too deeply into the world of martial arts. He seldom spoke of such matters either. Most of the time, Suren kept a low profile, spending his days in taverns and teahouses, listening to storytellers recount tales of the martial world and engaging in idle chatter with fellow drinkers and tea enthusiasts.
Ye Menghua assumed that Suren came from a rural background, with little understanding of the martial world. She took out a water flask from her luggage, took a sip, and spoke softly:
"The Heartless Ghost Realm... is a dangerous place in the martial world."
"Its origin is so ancient that no one can trace it. According to legends, it was established by a high-ranking official from the previous dynasty, someone from the imperial palace. Its background is shrouded in mystery, and no one knows its true nature."
"According to rumors from high-ranking officials in the court, only those whom the Ghost Manor 'requires' can enter."
"Oh?" Suren responded, his interest piqued. "But how does the Heartless Ghost Realm know who is needed? How do they decide?"
"I happen to know a little about this," Ye Menghua placed the flask back in her luggage. "Those who enter the Heartless Ghost Realm are either notorious bandits, heartless criminals, practitioners of evil arts, or even wanted criminals the government has placed bounties on."
"These people are usually ruthless and have no place to hide in the martial world. They’re hunted down to the point of having no other choice but to seek refuge."
"Only those who meet these conditions get a chance to be 'chosen' by the Ghost Manor."
Upon hearing this, Suren immediately understood.
"Ah, the Valley of Evil!"
"And what is that?" Ye Menghua looked at him upon hearing his words.
"It’s something similar to the Heartless Ghost Realm, another gathering place for villains. The difference is that no one guides you there; you have to find it on your own."
Suren casually mentioned a setting from "Absolute Twins."
"I see." Ye Menghua’s expression darkened. "I used to think that only the Heartless Ghost Realm was a place like that, but now there’s also the Valley of Evil... Once I’ve trained enough, I’ll seek out these villains and wipe them out."
When she spoke, her face was stern, her eyes gleaming with cold determination. Her right hand gripped the hilt of her sword, her entire body radiating a killing intent. Clearly, her words were not made lightly.
Suren knew that Ye Menghua harbored a deep grudge against the massacre of her family, but he thought it would be best if the world's worst criminals all turned into rewards for her. He nodded in agreement.
"Miss Ye, you are highly talented, and with the inheritance of the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect, you will surely be able to deal with these scoundrels one day."
"But, Miss, please tell me more about the Heartless Ghost Realm. I’d like to know more."
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"Please stop flattering me, Sir," Ye Menghua’s previous killing intent faded into a faint blush on her face. She took a deep breath, her eyes focusing on the ground. Her hands unconsciously clenched together.
"Ahem, I once heard my... my father speak of it. The Heartless Ghost Realm is a place you can enter, but you can never leave."
"Though it exists within the martial world, it is also beyond it."
"There are also four lines that have been passed down about this place:"
"Once you enter the Heartless Gate, you become one of the Ghost Manor’s people."
"If you dare to return to the mortal world, a thousand ghosts will devour your soul!"
When she mentioned "my father," the redness on her face disappeared, and her voice grew somber. Although her expression wasn’t visible, it was clear she was struggling with the memory.
Suren coughed to break the tense atmosphere.
"Since the Heartless Ghost Realm is so mysterious, how did these four lines get passed down?"
"Miss Ye, you also said that the Heartless Ghost Realm is dangerous. Have you heard of anyone who was once 'chosen' by the Ghost Manor? What kind of people were they?"
Seeing that Ye Menghua was now focused on his questions, Suren continued.
"According to the rumors from the high-ranking officials, the Heartless Ghost Realm only accepts evil-doers and criminals."
"You must know, these people can’t stand being alone for long. A year or two might be bearable, but eventually, after three, five, or ten years, if they are trapped in one place and can never leave, won’t they eventually try to escape?"
Ye Menghua nodded.
"Sir is right. Seventy years ago, there was a powerful demon, whose name I can't recall, but his nickname was 'Golden Blood Ancestor.' He practiced blood magic. He had been silent for many years, but suddenly resurfaced."
"When he reappeared, he slaughtered several villages."
"Five martial heroes, upon hearing this, were filled with righteous indignation. They immediately gathered a group of skilled warriors and set out to hunt down the demon, to rid the world of his evil."
"In the end, they cornered him in a desolate mountain."
"Unexpectedly, this demon was very powerful. Even when surrounded by the five heroes, he only grew stronger. He not only killed three of them but also caused heavy losses among the other warriors. The entire mountain was drenched in blood, and the cries of the dying filled the air."
Ye Menghua found a more comfortable spot to sit, but accidentally strained some of her wounds, letting out a muffled grunt.
"That day, my family’s ancestor participated in the siege."
“At that time, my grandfather had already made up his mind to die, but to his surprise, just as the demon was about to begin his massacre, a voice suddenly echoed through the air. The words spoken were exactly the four sentences I mentioned earlier…”
“When I was young, my grandfather used to tell me these stories. According to him, when the mysterious person spoke the first sentence, his figure had not yet appeared.”
“By the time the second sentence was spoken, the mysterious figure had already arrived in front of the demon.”
“All I could see was a person dressed in a black satin robe, wearing a ghostly mask. The only thing visible were his eyes—sharp, indifferent, and calm.”
“At that moment, no one in the area could tell where this mysterious person had come from.”
“Before the third sentence was even finished, the once invincible demon suddenly began to tremble like a sieve. Not only did his arrogance vanish, but he fell to his knees, kowtowing, and begging, ‘Master, please spare me.’”
“The master did not respond, as if speaking to the air. After the demon’s kowtow, the master’s hand pierced through the demon’s back, as if his body, which had been as hard as steel, was made of tofu. Then, the master ripped out the demon’s heart.”
“My ancestor once said, in front of that master, the demon had no strength to resist.”
“Gripping the heart in one hand, the master used his inner strength to extract a token from the demon’s body with the other. Then, in the blink of an eye, he disappeared.”
“There was a deathly silence. No one dared to stop him.”
“My ancestor said, the martial arts of that master were unparalleled—something he had never seen in his life.”
“There must be great terror within the Heartless Ghost Realm!”
After hearing this, Su Lun’s expression grew strange.
“It sounds to me… like the Heartless Ghost Realm is some kind of prison.”
“A prison?” Ye Menghua was stunned, her bright eyes turned toward Su Lun. “What makes you say that, my lord?”
“Think about it… the most heinous, the most wicked, those who practice evil arts, all imprisoned together, far away from the cities.”
“Isn’t that just like being locked in a prison for life?”
“And if someone escapes, the master has to take responsibility and deal with the aftermath.”
Su Lun spoke casually, but his words made Ye Menghua pause. She wanted to refute him, but found his reasoning hard to argue with. Neither of them spoke for a moment, both of them lost in thought.
