The path was silent and gloomy, constantly emanating a faint stench of blood.
The maid’s body was still lying on the ground.
A transparent humanoid figure was stuck on Ye Fei Li’s khopesh.
——-the figure was female and gave off a faint glowing light, displaying the characteristics unique to a soul.
This was her soul.
When the soul first appeared, it seemed a bit faint, but as she saw her body and the five people in front of her, she realized what had happened.
Right, I was killed.
The maid stood still.
She slowly crouched down in front of her body, wanting to touch it.
But her hand went through without being able to reach anything.
The maid’s expression was filled with despair, she cupped both hands in front of her face and started sobbing.
Zhang Ying Hao looked at Ye Fei Li.
Ye Fei Li turned to Gu Qing Shan.
Gu Qing Shan shook his head and signaled for everyone to wait.
——–the moment that a person discovered their own death would probably be the time when their minds would be the most shaken.
It was necessary for them to allow her time in order to accept this fact and calm herself down.
Everyone silently waited.
The maid was crying sorrowfully and occasionally mentioned something.
But they couldn’t hear any sound coming from her.
She was currently a wandering soul—— a unique state in which she had only just left the realm of the living, but had yet to enter the realm of the dead to accept her role or her outcome, so she had no voice and no sound.
Only Ye Fei Li who had the ability to listen to all things could hear her.
Ye Fei Li’s face slowly displayed a sense of sorrow.
“Did you discover something?” Gu Qing Shan asked in a low voice.
“Ah, nothing much, I only felt that her life has been tough—–”
As Ye Fei Li was talking, his expression suddenly stopped.
He raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet and said: “Let’s talk about this later. Don’t say anything. I think I heard something approaching us”.
Everyone remained silent.
Ye Fei Li crouched down, pressed his ear against the ground, and displayed a listening look.
His expression was turning more and more serious.
“What is it?” Zhang Ying Hao couldn’t help asking.
Ye Fei Li quickly explained: “A sound that I’ve never heard before is quickly approaching this place from deep beneath the ground”
“Can you generally tell what it is?”
“It seems a bit like a soul-like entity—– and it’s expressing its will to eat”
Gu Qing Shan immediately said: “A battle might be approaching us, everyone, get ready!”
The rest responded: “Got it!”
Shannu turned back into her sword form for him to wield.
Gu Qing Shan then drew the Earth sword from the void of space and held it tightly.
The Heaven sword and Chao Yin sword both manifested behind his back, slowly hovering there.
Gu Qing Shan readied his stance with spirit energy circulating around his body.
He was ready for battle!
All of a sudden—–
Gu Qing Shan noticed that there were no other movements around him.
He turned around.
Only to see that Ye Fei Li, Zhang Ying Hao, Boss, and Laura have all vanished.
“Where are you guys?” he couldn’t help but shout.
Boss’ voice answered him from the void of space, sounding a bit awkward: “About that——– we’ve hidden away together with Laura, to prevent further injuries in battle”
“…” Gu Qing Shan was speechless.
He also had no time to say anything.
Because the sound of a holy aria had begun to resound from below the surface.
One by one, figures clad in brilliant light appeared from below.
They were people who donned cloaks over their bodies.
They had solemn expressions on their faces, all wielding a pure-white staff that carried a ceremonial feeling in their hands while humming and reciting verses of a poem that gave off a holy aura.
Gu Qing Shan noticed that their bodies were all slightly transparent, but the presence they gave off was different from that of a wandering soul.
A white-robed old man stepped out from the group and looked at the maid with a pitiful gaze.
「 It is time, follow us and return to the soul’s eternal land of slumber 」the white-robed old man declared.
The maid stood up and took a step backward.
She opened her mouth and quickly said something, bowing to the old man while begging him.
Gu Qing Shan could hear the old man’s voice, but not the maid, so he could only gesture towards his ears.
Ye Fei Li’s voice then sounded from inside his mind:
“She’s saying that she can’t leave for the Calming Soul Country yet. Her only child isn’t even 4 years old yet, and he’s currently sick, if she left right now, no one would be there to take care of her child”
While Gu Qing Shan was listening to that, the scene between the souls continued.
The old man deeply sighed and spoke gently: 「 The matters of life and death are not under the control of any person. Your child has his own fate, be it good or terrible, it is no longer something that you can care about 」
「 You must understand, you are already dead 」
The woman continued to shake her head in a frenzy, prostrating to the ground trying to beg.
The old man appeared impatient.
He declared with a firm expression: 「 Listen well, no souls are allowed to refuse the invitation of the Calming Soul Country, this is the fate of all Demis, as well as the fate of everyone within Calming Soul Country 」
「 Take her away 」the old man called out to the people behind him.
Several robed men came forward and propped the woman up, restraining her.
The woman cried out in despair.
“What did she say just now?” Gu Qing Shan asked.
“She said her only wish is to see her child one last time” Ye Fei Li replied.
Hearing that, Gu Qing Shan fell into thought.
The transparent entities had already caught the woman.
The sound of the holy aria became resoundingly loud.
Continuing to recite their unfathomable verses of poems, their bodies slowly sank downwards.
Just as they were about to leave.
Gu Qing Shan abruptly clapped his hands and said: “I think she can’t leave just yet”
“Got it” Ye Fei Li replied.
A khopesh that appeared faint and transparent abruptly flew out from the void of space.
With a light inward flick, the khopesh drew the woman’s soul back.
Her mind had already turned blank, her consciousness had given up, and she no longer reacted to anything.
But when she noticed that she was back to where she was before, she was in disbelief.
Taking a look at the khopesh, her senses returned.
I haven’t been taken to Calming Soul Country yet!
She abruptly turned towards Gu Qing Shan.
Gu Qing Shan smiled at her and said: “Remember me?”
She nodded.
Gu Qing Shan then told her: “Thank you for your snack, we’ll talk more later”
He walked forward and stood in front of the girl.
The transparent robed men were staring at him coldly.
The white-robed old man spoke in a low, threatening voice: 「 Regardless of who you are, to interfere with the order of life and death means that you have violated the taboo of Calming Soul Country 」
Gu Qing Shan showed an apologetic expression and lowered himself, then spoke: “I solemnly respect the customs and traditions that make up the rules of every world, and I didn’t mean to offend yours, but I have a very crucial matter that I need to discuss with her, so I’d like to ask you to make an exception for me”
「 Exception? Death has never made any exceptions for anyone! 」 the old man roared in fury.
“Of course, of course, I know that. That’s why I’m more than willing to pay a small price for it. Pardon me asking but do you take money, or treasures?” Gu Qing Shan said.
He reached one hand out and opened his palm.
From the void of space, countless metallic coins that gave off the glow of magic appeared in his hand, then continued to pour out onto the ground, making a loud clanging of metal.
The metal coins were soon stacked high enough to form a small hill the height of several people.
Standing next to the coins, Gu Qing Shan said: “Although you gentlemen might have no use for this anymore, who doesn’t have some children or grandchildren? As seniors, you always need to worry for the younger ones——- after all, money is necessary regardless of what you do, be it cultivating, getting married, buying houses… children need money”
“And it just happens that I have all these coins with unique powers and abilities, certified treasures from the Strife Zones that are universally recognized everywhere within the 900 million World Layers. This much should be more than enough for all your descendants’ needs”
He reached his other hand out.
Innumerable weapons, armors, jewelry, summoning books, magical scrolls… all sorts of treasures appeared in his hand, then continued to fall to the ground.
These treasures couldn’t stack on top of each other, so they flowed all around like a river.
“Gentlemen, if you don’t like money, I also have all sorts of treasures that anyone would crave for without fail”
“Each of these treasures are very valuable, whether you use it yourself or gift them to others, you would never find yourselves in an embarrassing situation. Some of them are even great enough to become family heirlooms”
“Gentlemen, I truly don’t mean to offend you. I’m more than willing to part with all this wealth and treasures with the only hope that you give me a bit of time, just enough to talk to her and finish that we couldn’t before”
“After that, you can simply continue as your rules dictated, what do you think?”
Standing in between a mountain of coins and a river of treasures, Gu Qing Shan said very sincerely.
