Chapter 67: Not a Malevolent Spirit
Chapter 67: Not a Malevolent Spirit
At this moment, the main hall was not only occupied by Gu Qingfeng and Meng Peng, but also by Gu Yang and several other Blood Refinement guards.
"Tell me the details," Gu Qingfeng said, glancing at the other dried-up corpses before turning his gaze to the gathered crowd.
One of the Blood Refinement guards immediately spoke up, "Lord of the household, people began disappearing five days ago. Despite our best efforts to search, we found no trace of them until today, when we discovered these missing individuals in a dry well. When we found them, all their life force had vanished, and their organs were completely hollowed out. We suspect this might be the work of a malevolent spirit!"
Malevolent spirits!
For the guards of the Gu family, this was no longer a secret. When Gu Qingfeng led the family’s elite to the Qingyang Sect, the existence of Qingyang’s ancient ancestor had already revealed to them what sorcerers and malevolent spirits were.
Now, with such a bizarre occurrence, it was only natural for them to suspect the involvement of a malevolent spirit.
"Indeed, there is a faint resemblance to the aura of a malevolent spirit, but it’s too early to conclude that this is one," Gu Qingfeng said, causing the faces of those present to change.
Though they had their suspicions, hearing it from Gu Qingfeng’s mouth still sent a shock through their hearts.
Then, Gu Qingfeng looked at the group and said calmly, "Where is the dry well where you found the bodies? Lead me there."
"Yes, Lord."
...
The group headed toward the dry well. This area was part of the Gu family’s estate’s backyard. As they stepped into the courtyard, Gu Qingfeng immediately sensed a dense, cold aura. When they reached the well, the cold aura intensified dramatically.
Without hesitation, Gu Qingfeng leaped into the well. The well was dry, with no significant marks on the walls, but the dense cold aura confirmed that the situation was far from simple.
After a short while, Gu Qingfeng emerged from the well.
"Did you find anything, Father?" Gu Yang asked first.
Gu Qingfeng shook his head slightly, "I have some leads, but I can’t be certain yet. I’ll be staying here for the next couple of days to investigate. You can continue with your usual tasks."
"I want to see what kind of creature dares to cause trouble right under my nose!"
Gu Qingfeng’s expression turned cold. Whether it was a malevolent spirit or something else, anything that dared to stand in his way would meet its end.
Hearing this, the others relaxed.
With their lord taking personal action, they were confident nothing could go wrong.
—
The next few days, Gu Qingfeng remained at the Gu family estate.
As night fell, the sky grew dark without a sound.
Gu Qingfeng sat atop the roof, eyes closed, as if meditating. Beside him lay the Evil-Slaying Sword.
Suddenly, Gu Qingfeng opened his eyes.
The sky was now pitch black, and the entire Gu family estate seemed to be plunged into an eternal silence. The darkness around them was like a flood, slowly engulfing everything, and the eerie, cold aura reached its peak.
"It’s here!"
Gu Qingfeng’s eyes turned cold. Though he couldn’t see the malevolent spirit, his sharp senses as a martial artist allowed him to feel something watching him from the darkness.
At the same time, the entire Gu family estate was deathly quiet.
To know.
The Gu Family Manor now houses hundreds of craftsmen, so it should never be this quiet.
At that moment,
The Evil-Slaying Blade began to tremble slightly.
Gu Qingfeng had a premonition. The moment he grasped the hilt, the long blade was unsheathed, its cold, piercing light slicing through the darkness like the dawn breaking the night. A tremendous surge of blood energy and a terrifying aura of slaughter erupted.
"Ah—"
With a single strike,
Gu Qingfeng heard a shrill, agonizing scream. The scene before him tore apart like a curtain being ripped open.
Only then did Gu Qingfeng realize
that he was not on the rooftop at all. Somehow, he had walked to the edge of a dry well, just a step away from falling in.
At the same time,
the ground around the dry well was covered in black ash, still tinged with a cold, eerie aura. But the cold that had permeated the backyard was now completely gone.
"Indeed, it wasn't a malevolent spirit!"
"But something that could influence my mind so silently is not to be underestimated—"
Gu Qingfeng looked at the ash on the ground and the dissipating cold in the air. He understood that whatever it was, he had dealt with it.
It was clear
that this entity could control the mind of a martial artist, even one at the Visceral Refinement stage, making it hard to resist. However, it wasn't particularly strong, and Gu Qingfeng had dispatched it with a single strike.
He even suspected
that if he hadn't resisted, the entity might not have been able to break through his defenses.
Regardless,
the warning from the Evil-Slaying Blade had resolved a significant problem. Gu Qingfeng was increasingly satisfied with this divine weapon.
Next,
Gu Qingfeng knelt down and picked up some of the black powder with his fingers. As soon as he touched it, a terrifyingly cold aura surged, as if it could freeze a martial artist's blood. But compared to Gu Qingfeng's blood energy, this cold aura was much weaker.
"It's indeed not a malevolent spirit. This world is far more complex than I thought. Besides malevolent spirits, there are such bizarre entities."
Gu Qingfeng mused.
If it were a malevolent spirit,
it wouldn't have been so easily slain.
Therefore,
Gu Qingfeng was certain that this was not a malevolent spirit. However, he needed to investigate further to determine its true nature.
Then,
Gu Qingfeng collected the black ash from the ground, storing it for later examination.
Looking around, the eerie darkness had completely vanished, and the silent night sky was now filled with the sounds of people. The Gu Family Manor was illuminated by countless lights.
But to be safe,
Gu Qingfeng entered the dry well to check. Only after confirming that the cold aura had completely dissipated did he believe that the bizarre entity had been thoroughly eliminated.
—
The next day,
as the sun rose,
Gu Qingfeng summoned Gu Yang and the other martial artists responsible for the area. He got straight to the point.
"The problem in the Gu Family Manor has been resolved. From now on, we don't need to worry about it anymore. Additionally, all the deceased craftsmen will be given 100 silver taels as compensation."
"Understood!"
Gu Yang's expression relaxed, then he asked,
"Father, may I ask what that thing was? Could it have been a malevolent spirit?"
"A malevolent spirit wouldn't be so easily slain. That thing was killed by me, so it's clear it wasn't a malevolent spirit. However, its true nature remains unknown."
(End of Chapter)
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