Chapter 148: Chapter 145: My Life... Better Left Unsaid...

Song Ciwan looked at the Heaven and Earth Scale that had automatically materialized beside her. In that moment, she was truly a little moved.

There are always people in this world who, despite suffering endlessly, still hold onto their gentle nature.

And yet, the world’s suffering seems to single out these unfortunate souls, piling upon them tenfold, a hundredfold, making the weak even weaker until they are ground into the dirt and fade away like dust in the wind.

Who would ever care if they had existed, or where they ended up?

But it didn’t matter. It wasn’t necessary for others to care, as long as they cared about themselves.

Song Ciwan stood beside the Snake Maiden and cast the Ganlin Spell again, completely healing the grievous wounds on their bodies.

The two maidens coiled their shared Snake Tail. Their upper bodies were joined back-to-back. As their expressions turned serene and they pressed their hands together, a seemingly divine radiance emanated from them.

On the Martial Arts Arena, the surviving Martial Masters of the Hongsheng Martial Arts Hall stared blankly at the scene.

They couldn’t see Song Ciwan. All they saw were the swarms of Black Insects being sucked into a pitch-black void, vanishing in an instant.

They then saw the Snake Maiden’s injuries heal, and watched as Niu the Sixth once again knelt, piously kowtowing and giving thanks to the heavens and the gods.

A moment later, the two maidens swept their Snake Tail out, suddenly wrapping it around Niu the Sixth’s body. Then, with a flick of their tail, they leaped into the air.

Their figures began to speed away from the Martial Arts Arena.

The Martial Masters exchanged glances. Someone whispered to Xiao Shu, "Third Senior Brother, what do we do? Should we give chase?"

Xiao Shu snapped, "Chase what? Use that brain of yours for a second. Is that something we can chase? And what would we do if we caught them? Put them on a pedestal? Or do you want to be like that idiot Feng and create evil abominations?"

That Martial Master shuddered and quickly shook his head. "No, no, of course not! I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare!"

Xiao Shu scoffed, but then he sighed.

His gaze followed the Snake Maiden’s figure into the distance until she disappeared from his sight.

Xiao Shu could only lift his head slightly, watching the distant night sky where fireworks still bloomed and fell, mingling with the brilliant stars.

"Everyone," he said, "today’s events may seem to be over, but the seeds of disaster have already been sown. For Feng Chuncai to be able to create an evil thing like the Xinglin Beauty Spring, the person backing him must be incredibly powerful. And then there was that group from earlier—they were clearly of extraordinary origin, yet they died here at our Hongsheng Martial Arts Hall..."

"We weren’t the ones who killed them!" a Martial Master immediately protested.

Xiao Shu said, "True, you didn’t kill them. However, a moment ago, didn’t you attack?"

The man flinched, at a loss for words.

Xiao Shu saw the resentment in his expression and couldn’t help but sneer. "Brothers, don’t blame me for ordering you all to attack. They came with ill intent. Not a single person in that group was decent. They had already forced their way in. Even if we hadn’t made a move, do you really think they would have just let us go?"

"We should be grateful that some mysterious expert intervened and saved our lives! Otherwise, what kind of good ending do you think there would have been for any of us?"

The logic in his words was obvious, and everyone fell silent once more.

After a moment, someone sighed and asked, "Third Senior Brother, what should we do now?"

’What should we do?’

Xiao Shu... didn’t actually know either.

His gaze shifted to the old Master, who had been helped into a chair. The old Master hadn’t moved for a long time. Xiao Shu had fed him a large number of Elixirs earlier, but he showed no signs of waking.

But just as Xiao Shu turned his head, he suddenly heard a weak, aged voice call out, "Third... Old Third..."

Everyone was stunned. Xiao Shu rushed over, and the other Martial Masters quickly gathered around.

Xiao Shu exclaimed with joyous excitement, "Master, you’re awake! This is wonderful!"

The old Master’s fingers twitched, and Xiao Shu quickly reached out to support his hand.

The old Master’s eyes opened slightly. His cloudy gaze swept over everyone present, as if reluctant to part with this final glimpse of life.

He struggled to say, "The... the hall... from this day... is disbanded!"

Everyone cried out in alarm, some yelling, "Master!" and others, "Hall Master!"

The old Master continued, "Disband immediately. Don’t linger. Each of you... find a powerful faction... to take refuge with! Remember, you can be pragmatic to protect yourselves, but you must not walk... the Evil Dao! The scourge of the Evil Dao will ruin you and your entire clan. It will make a Human no longer Human. No one... is to do it!"

Xiao Shu knelt before the old Master, fighting back his grief. "Master, we will remember everything you’ve said. Please rest for a moment. I’ll go find more medicine..."

"It’s useless." The old Master’s aged hand gripped Xiao Shu’s tightly. "Old Third, it is I who have failed you, but now I can only entrust this to you. After I die, you will be the one to wear mourning clothes for me. There’s no need for a funeral. Just have a simple coffin made and bury me with your Mistress."

He took a breath and added, "There are still some assets in the storeroom. Work together to open it and divide everything equally among you. Old Third, you take an extra share. Consider it payment for the funeral arrangements."

"My life, this life of mine... Heh, it’s not worth mentioning!"

"Jiaoniang, my love, I’m coming to find you..."

He spoke this last sentence softly and slowly. As his voice faded, his eyes closed completely.

His hand holding Xiao Shu’s went limp. His wrist gave way, and his arm slid down the side of the chair. He was gone.

Wails of grief instantly filled the martial arts hall.

"Master!"

"Hall Master!"

...

Song Ciwan collected the wisps of essence that floated out. Individually, they weren’t heavy, but their sheer quantity made up for it.

The heaviest wisp came from Xiao Shu, weighing a full three pounds. Song Ciwan collected his essence separately.

She took one last look at the Hongsheng Martial Arts Hall. It was now filled with sounds of grief, a stark contrast to the joyous feasting from before.

The musicians and Dancing Girls had long since fled. At the edge of the Martial Arts Arena, amidst the deep shadows of the trees, was another group of extremely peculiar people—

Why were these people peculiar?

Because, like Song Ciwan, they all existed on another side of the world.

Song Ciwan could see them, and they could see her, but the people of the mortal world could see neither her nor them.

These people had been hiding off to the side, having arrived a moment after Zhang Tian’s group.

After arriving and seeing the chaotic battle, they neither joined in nor left immediately, instead hiding quietly to the side, observing how everything unfolded.

It was only after the Snake Maiden had left and the old Master had passed away that Song Ciwan made her move, using her Lightweight Skill to fly over to the shadows where they were hiding.

The group immediately dodged to the side to make way. As they moved, one of them hastily shouted, "Friend, we mean no harm! Please, calm yourself!"

’Calm myself?’

’Do these people think I’m about to attack them?’

Song Ciwan paid them no mind. Her gaze simply swept over the entire group, and naturally, it passed over Xie Yunxiang, who was huddled amongst them.

So Xie Yunxiang was here. He had already removed his Human Skin Mask and returned to his original appearance, so Song Ciwan did not acknowledge him.

After her gaze passed over them, Song Ciwan moved past the group as swiftly as a gust of Wind, not saying a single word.

She left the Hongsheng Martial Arts Hall, following the trail of Niu the Sixth and the Snake Maiden.