Chapter 43: Immortal Abode… Bloodbath? I Have to…

Gu Changhuai tsked. “Cut that out.” He made a zipping motion over his mouth. “Don’t tell anyone.”

Hua Mei nodded in understanding. “Got it, got it.” His fox-like eyes narrowed slyly. Eavesdropping on some gossip wasn’t like committing a crime, after all.

Gu Changhuai pointed toward the direction Pei Tianyi had left. “Hurry and keep an eye on him for me. Send a message if there’s any trouble.”

Hua Mei wasn’t thrilled. “I’ve noticed you’re getting less focused ever since arriving in the Cultivation World.” He reminded him, “You’re a demon clansman, remember your mission—kill the Immortal Lord!”

Though he said that, he still stretched lazily and got to his feet, preparing to tail Pei Tianyi.

“Got it, got it.” Gu Changhuai laughed. “I’ll treat you to a drink when you get back. It’s been ages, and I’ve been craving it.”

Hua Mei glanced back and shot Gu Changhuai a flirtatious wink. “At least the young master has a conscience. This servant will make sure to keep him in check for you~.”

Gu Changhuai waved him off and closed the window. He heard Kong Huai’s voice reporting from outside the room. “Immortal Lord, the City Lord’s Mansion has been cleared.”

Gu Changhuai flicked his sleeve, collecting the scattered letters on the floor. Pei Tianyi had only taken one with him when he left—likely the letter from the final year. He hadn’t had time to grab the rest.

After tidying up, Gu Changhuai opened the door and stepped out. He met Rong Ye’s sweeping gaze and said, “Don’t worry, Pei Tianyi has some knots in his heart and went out to clear his mind. He’ll be fine.”

“Mm.” Rong Ye responded in a low voice, without pressing further. He simply said, “Let’s go.”

…

They headed to the City Lord’s Mansion together.

The Enforcement Hall disciples had already sorted all the corpses—over ten thousand in total. They placed them into an array for soul retrieval and distributed them according to each disciple’s strength, lining them up in two rows.

From a short distance away, Gu Changhuai looked up and saw one Enforcement Hall disciple after another soaring into the air, towing the corpses behind them.

A long trail of two streams followed each flying sword, with each person carrying roughly one to two thousand bodies. The corpses, having undergone soul retrieval, knew their way home. Once the disciples took flight, they scattered in different directions.

At first glance, it looked like a dozen kites with tails had suddenly taken to the sky. To avoid causing chaos in the Mortal Realm, they had cast spells to conceal the sight—but it didn’t fool Gu Changhuai’s eyes.

The Cultivation World’s version of corpse-driving. What a spectacle.

Wow—

He couldn’t help but marvel in admiration.

The line of corpses ascended to the heavens!

Jin Shuang clapped his hands as he emerged from the City Lord’s Mansion and paid his respects to Rong Ye. “Immortal Venerable, everything has been handled.” The banners surrounding the mansion still hadn’t been taken down.

Rong Ye nodded faintly and glanced sideways at Gu Changhuai. Somehow, Gu Changhuai understood his meaning and waved it off. “I’m not going.”

What was the point of watching them collect bones? It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen it before.

“Alright,” Rong Ye said, then entered the City Lord’s Mansion alone.

Gu Changhuai’s morning drowsiness hadn’t fully worn off. Yawning, he waited outside. Such sights were rare in the Mortal Realm. Even with isolating banners and barriers around the City Lord’s Mansion, curious onlookers gathered, and some had even set up a tea stall nearby.

Taking advantage of the wait, Gu Changhuai simply sat down at the tea stall for a cup. Jin Shuang followed. As soon as the two arrived, the people crowded around the stall scattered like startled birds, leaving several empty seats.

Mortals typically regarded cultivators with more awe than anything, turning their loud discussions into hushed whispers. And people tended to speculate broadly about the unknown.

Gu Changhuai had no interest in explaining things to them—it would only make matters worse if he tried.

Jin Shuang didn’t drink tea; he just sat there, his two fingers pressed together as a faint golden light emerged. Eyes closed, he sent a transmission with his divine sense to someone.

Gu Changhuai waited a good while before Jin Shuang stopped. He frowned, his expression turning grave. Gu Changhuai asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jin Shuang replied, “I can’t reach the Immortal Abode in the Mortal Realm.”

“The Immortal Abode?” Gu Changhuai’s eyes filled with confusion. “What’s that?”

Jin Shuang explained patiently, “Though the Cultivation World is far separated from the Mortal Realm, mortals occasionally produce cultivation prodigies. For that reason, mortal emperors established the Immortal Abode.”

He lowered his voice. “Loose cultivators or disciples from certain immortal sects garrison it. If anomalies or demon clansmen appear in the Mortal Realm—and if cultivators from the Cultivation World intervene—the cleanup falls to them.”

The corpses and bones at the City Lord’s Mansion had already been cleared to prevent chaos. The missing City Lord needed the mortal emperor to appoint a replacement promptly, and the hollowed-out underground mansion required final handling.

Gu Changhuai came to a sudden realization. “Why not just send a message to the mortal emperor directly?”

“No can do.” Jin Shuang shook his head. “The Imperial Palace is protected by purple qi. Even cultivators must follow the rules of that realm—messages can’t get in.”

What a hassle. Gu Changhuai propped his cheek on his hand. He hated hassles the most.

The two fell silent for a moment.

As the atmosphere quieted, the nearby whispers became especially clear. Someone said, “No wonder we haven’t seen the City Lord in the past year—he must’ve been killed by demons and monsters. Heaven is unjust!”

Someone else sighed mournfully. “The City Lord devoted his life to service, only to meet such an end. Ding Tian City’s peace today is all thanks to him!”

“The court doesn’t care about people!” Another spat. “Haven’t you heard? Word from the Capital says the Crown Prince went mad. Cultivators from the Immortal Abode claimed he was possessed by evil spirits and tried to exorcise him. But it left the Crown Prince bedridden, still unconscious to this day. His Majesty flew into a rage and ordered the Immortal Abode bloodbathed.”

He sneered. “The Mortal Realm has enjoyed peace for years, thanks to the Immortal Abode handling things everywhere. And they pull something like this? Disgusting!”

Hearing the content of their discussion clearly, Jin Shuang murmured in shock, “The Immortal Abode… bloodbathed?” It was simply unbelievable!

The cultivators of the Immortal Abode served the mortal emperor, but they weren’t helpless lambs. If their lives were in danger, they could flee to the Cultivation World at any time. It didn’t make sense that they would just be massacred.

Gu Changhuai tapped his fingertip lightly on the table and turned to the speaker with a smile. “Excuse me, when did the Immortal Abode bloodbath happen?”

Suddenly addressed by Gu Changhuai, the man seemed flattered. “No need, no need, Immortal. You probably haven’t heard—this news has been circulating for a month or two. Even fast carriages from the Capital to Ding Tian City take nearly a season, so it must’ve happened half a year ago.”

“Thanks.” After getting the information, Gu Changhuai turned back to Jin Shuang, who looked even graver. He asked, “You planning to investigate?”

Jin Shuang nodded. “This is no small matter.” He said solemnly, “The Immortal Abode is the only direct link between the Mortal Realm and the Cultivation World. There shouldn’t be just one location, but my messages just now got no response from any of them. It’s too suspicious.”

Even if just one breath remained, that would be enough to respond via transmission. As for a complete bloodbath? Jin Shuang didn’t buy it.

Gu Changhuai didn’t believe it either. He sighed. “Sounds interesting. I want to go too…”

As he spoke, he suddenly sensed a chill creeping in from beside him. Propping his chin, he turned leisurely to regard Rong Ye, who had appeared silently. “But alas, I have to stick with the Immortal Lord.”

At those words, the look Rong Ye directed at Gu Changhuai deepened.