"Whose family's younger generation is this?"
In a stifling atmosphere, countless people simultaneously turned their heads to look at the woman in the black robe who had just spoken.
They were sowhat annoyed in their hearts but could not recognize who she was. However, they thought anyone capable of entering the Yan Family to attend a banquet was naturally no ordinary person.
Furthermore, the Yan Family was always known for its strict defenses, so evidently, her identity must have been thoroughly checked before she arrived. Not recognizing her didn't an others wouldn't recognize her, so nobody questioned her. After all, in such a social setting, offending soone unnecessarily was not worth it.
However, they couldn't just let her undermine their prestige, so soone sneered, "He was arrogant in Mingzhou, but in Guazhou, he dares not. The Emperor's command couldn't even subdue the Zhensui Mansion because the Emperor has been dead for twenty years; only one decree remains. What use is that?"
"Even when the Emperor was alive, the decree couldn't suppress all the evil spirit paths. Wasn't there a shortage of them? In our Guazhou, we have the Iron Threshold King. With the convergence of royal power, won't the Zhensui Mansion have to give so face when they co?"
"Well said!"
Not waiting for others to respond, a man in a silver robe with brocade boots, crowned in red, shouted approvingly. Bowing, he said, "A flowery sedan is lifted by all, and anyone walking on this jianghu path needs to show face."
"Without showing face, you have no friends. Without friends, how could you walk this Jianghu Road?"
His words resonated with people. Then they heard the woman, whose head was hidden in the black robe, listlessly say, "But the Hu Family is ruthless. Having endured twenty years and nearly facing annihilation, they never sought help. If they don't need to save face, I reckon they wouldn't give face to others either."
This sudden statent made many at the table unable to hold back, and they even felt a jolt in their hearts.
At this mont, the Store Manager of the clinic, robed in apricot yellow, smiled and said, "We respect both the Hu Family and the Zhensui Mansion. Yet living in such chaotic tis, one must reason. The Walking Ghost Great Sword-Catching holds a high reputation, but first, let's see if he has the ability to enter this gate!"
"Indeed, if the Zhensui Mansion truly had capable people, they wouldn't need to hire such a Shousui to be a sword capturer..."
Beside him, Master Gongyang, stroking his goatee, also smiled faintly, saying to the White-clothed Scholar, whose face was pale and who couldn't drink steadily, "Why worry, Mr. Chun Sheng?"
"Though Master Yan is a human and you are not, you have been close friends. Now Guazhou has issued a Heroic Invitation, and heroes from all paths have co to reason. Within Guazhou City, jianghu ethics are upheld, rules established; four gates and eight flags guard the four sides."
"If he has real skills, then he won't enter through the main gate. But should he enter through the main gate, he would need to follow our Guazhou rules. In consideration of the Zhensui Mansion, we won't bully, but neither will we be bullied."
Having heard this, everyone secretly nodded. They turned their gaze towards the main gate of the Yan Family. It was now open, with a road leading directly through, surrounded by people from jianghu, yet left clear and open for the sword capturer.
In the courtyard, an extra seat was set up, filled with delicacies, reserved for him.
In terms of etiquette, the Iron Gate Yan Family had done it all. However, etiquette sotis also posed a pressure. When the other party ca, they would sit in the reserved seat; if reason couldn't resolve differences, then they would display their skills.
This was essentially a duel, another form of rule in jianghu, a thod used by Martial Artists to distinguish right from wrong—unless the opponent didn't even wish to duel and aid to flatten the Yan Family altogether.
But they presud that an Entering the Mansion Shousui like him wouldn't possess such overwhelming power.
So, on the surface, things appeared quite well-rounded.
Even the White-clothed Scholar seed slightly relieved, asking soone beside him, "What ti is it?"
"Almost midnight."
A dark-skinned, plump woman at the table chuckled. "He's not yet been seen. Perhaps he doesn't even have the ability to reach the Yan Family gate? After midnight, Mr. Chun Sheng's ordeal would be considered over."
Everyone secretly nodded. They knew that according to jianghu rules, once a contract to take a life was accepted—the "life-buying money" having been set—the deed had to be done within seven days. Otherwise, the reputation of the Walking Ghost Great Sword-Catching would be lost.
Yet just as everyone wore faint smiles, the girl in the black robe suddenly said, "So, Mr. Chun Sheng might not live past midnight?"
"You!"
Finally unable to contain themselves, everyone glared in fury at the girl, regardless of whose family she ca from, as her words were too unbearable. Even the man in the silver robe with the red crown stared at her angrily, dumbfounded.
anwhile, Old Master Yan, sitting at the main seat, squinted and began to slowly open his eyes to inquire.
But at that very mont, an ominous wind suddenly swept through from outside the Iron Gate of the Yan Family, blowing directly into the mansion.
The wind was indescribably strange, like a steel blade scraping the bones, stripping the warmth from the body and chilling the soul to its core.
The surrounding lamps grew dimr, as if even the flas themselves shivered.
Amidst the dim courtyard, as if in a trance, everyone suddenly noticed that sohow, inside the Yan Family gate, there was now a person in a black robe, a smiling face mask on his face, wielding a fierce broad knife under his arm.
There were nurous skilled individuals present, yet all were so taken aback by the eerie wind that they hadn't noticed when he arrived.
"You..."
Before anyone could react and speak up, the masked figure began speaking slowly. "Sorry to interrupt your drinking pleasure!"
"I am the Walking Ghost Great Sword-Catching, executing the Zhensui Mansion Order: The earth snake ghost of Green Water Lake defied the Mansion's order, failed to respond to the summons, and privately received incense. The cri deserves decapitation."
As he spoke, he gradually moved forward. "Mr. Chun Sheng, your ti has co."
"You..."
Only now were they truly shocked. Countless people narrowed their eyes, scrutinizing this figure wrapped in ominous energy, seemingly not of the mortal world.
So wondered how he had entered through the main gate. If he ca that way, countless eyes outside should have spotted him. How could he arrive so suddenly, with no one even sending word inside?
But most petrified of all was naturally the White-clothed Scholar beside Master Yan.
Facing the masked, knife-wielding man, despite possessing considerable cultivation, Chun Sheng inexplicably felt his bravery vanish. He couldn't muster any courage to et the eyes beneath the mask, even feeling his own body fading as if ready to retreat instantly.
"Hold on!"
Yet at this mont, Master Yan still sat steadily at the table, remaining unshaken, while the other experts at the table suddenly ca to their senses.
The Store Manager of the Life Pavilion, in his apricot yellow robe, slowly stood up. He addressed the sword-catching lord, "Please calm down, sir. All matters in this world are governed by reason. I sense a misunderstanding. Would you care to sit down and talk it over?"
The person wearing the smiling mask did not look at him, rely responding lightly, "You want to intervene?"
The Store Manager hesitated, unsure how to respond.
The sword capturer continued forward, slowly declaring, "The Zhensui Mansion's blade does not slay the living. However, those obstructing sword-catching duties share the sa guilt as evil spirits!"
"You..."
The Store Manager in the apricot yellow robe didn't expect such cold determination from the sword capturer, finding himself montarily at a loss for words.
Yet beside him, soone suddenly snickered. It was the Protector General under the Iron Threshold King—a Great Shousui, well-trained and battle-hardened, who had pushed open the three mansion gates.
He rose slowly, speaking, "Haven't pushed open the third mansion gate yet, have you?"
"Don't speak with such arrogance. So many of us are here, only to discuss this matter of reason with you. Since you've co through the main gate, sit down and let's have a proper talk!"
His commanding aura seed to suffocate those around him, yet the sword capturer, holding his knife, seed unaffected. He rely stated, "Soone else is responsible for reasoning. I, the sword capturer, only co to kill."
The crowd found him cold and hard, yet subtly absurd. Was this sothing an Entering the Mansion Shousui should say in front of so many skilled experts?
In the silence, those standing by the table all rose, surrounding him, their killing intent palpable.
Just as the situation was about to explode, CLANG! An object was thrown down from overhead into the midst of the gathering, followed by a laughing voice, "I am the walking ghost little sword-catcher! Who dares hinder Zhensui Mansion duty?"
Alard, everyone hastily looked up. They saw a Seven-star Flag, drenched in blood, lying on the ground. On the wall, another figure appeared, wearing a cloth robe and a cat-face mask, squatting and giggling as he looked down.
This Great Sword-Catching actually has little sword-catchers under his command?
Everyone felt a chill but hadn't had ti to respond before more flags were thrown in from outside the mansion in rapid succession, accompanied by myriad laughter.
"I too am a walking ghost little sword-catcher! Heard there's soone to kill here?"
"Haha, what a coincidence! I ca too."
"Is this the place? I heard there's Blood Food... no, a bloody feast? (licks knife)"
"Hehe, I'm just here to ask: who dares obstruct the walking ghost sword-catcher's duty? We'll massacre your whole family!"
One after another, figures appeared—so on the wall, so on the roof. So were cloaked in an air of bloodlust, while others peeked out from the shadows of the trees. Each wore a different mask: pig, monkey, painted face, or Evil Ghost.
In an instant, they had enclosed the entire gathering.
And before the Mansion Gate, beneath the smiling face mask, the eyes of the walking ghost sword-catcher seed to curve into a smile as he looked up at the crowd. "I enter through the main gate because a walking ghost sword-catcher cos openly to kill. What does that have to do with your so-called rules?"
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