The Elder Jiuli shook his head, then added, "Generally, soul bodies do not harm people, nor are they easily seen by cultivators in the Spirit Realm unless they are driven by ghost cultivators and become malevolent spirits."
"Generally?"
The Ganghun suddenly awakened.
The disciple quickly asked, "Then what about generally not?"
Elder Jiuli could be considered a patient and good-tempered old man, especially when compared to the erratic old rascal Daoist Zhiyang.
"If you kill people, they will go mad upon smelling the malevolent aura of blood," Elder Jiuli cast him a sideways glance, a deliberate reminder.
Though this possibility was unlikely to happen to them.
Elder Jiuli swept his gaze around and noticed someone falling behind. He turned back, hands behind his back, and saw Liu Jiangmisheng walking with his eyes closed, led by his wife. He was momentarily surprised.
This mortal's courage was truly extraordinary; she showed no fear in such a situation. Compared to the flustered disciples of the sect, she possessed a certain composure, like an unyielding ruler facing danger with equanimity.
He knew that upon learning that his companion was Gu Yishi, the Master of Mount Wu Mei had not delayed a moment, rushing to Zhuquelou to argue with the Sect Leader. However, as the saying goes, "When a wise man fails, a devil succeeds." The Sect Leader had long since slipped away, turning this unresolvable matter into an insoluble problem.
Elder Jiuli had expected this mortal to cause endless trouble on the journey, but clearly, aside from her weakness, she was quite manageable in other aspects.
Danyah also saw Gu Junshi leading her "pretty boy" junior brother, the two walking slowly, one after the other, like a pair of mandarin ducks with necks intertwined, undisturbed by their surroundings.
This was different from the scenario he had envisioned.
It was truly disappointing that he had failed to make Liu Jiangfusheng lose face in front of others, especially in front of Gu Yi.
He closed his eyes?
How could the naked eye of a cultivator compare to the vast reach and knowledge of divine sense?
It was merely putting on an act in front of her.
He was about to expose and mock him, saying, "Junior—"
But the words he was about to speak were choked in his throat by a faint glance from Gu Junshi.
He looked at her.
Dressed in plain clothes, with ink-black hair and delicate bones and snow-white skin, she raised a finger to him, placing it on her lips, which were the color of pale water.
"Hush."
Beneath her slender eyebrows, a pair of dark, luminous eyes reflected the green glow emanating from the drifting soul bodies, making her appear less like a living person with a warm complexion.
Thump, thump—
His heart seemed to clench.
It was dull, like the humid, oppressive weather before rain, making it difficult to breathe.
He found it hard to tear his eyes away from her.
Without any reason for special favor or exception, she was so quietly protecting his deception?
Fangrui then gently tugged on Danyah's sleeve, her voice swirling and rising and falling like fallen leaves in the wind, "Jun-junior brother, why have these gh-ghosts suddenly turned their heads and are staring directly in our direction?"
Danyah cast a casual glance.
The ghosts, drawn by the darkness about to overflow from him, stopped in place, enjoying themselves and gazing as if waiting for more delicious "gluttonous food" to drift their way.
With a wave of his sleeve, a burst of flame swept downwards, and the temperature in the air suddenly rose. A large expanse of blue flame fanned out towards the drifting spirits, and in the fire, their bodies twisted and screamed, gradually melting away, transforming into a patch of clear, clean air.
Elder Jiuli saw him using "Spirit Fire" and noted that it wasn't just any low-grade spirit fire. It would likely consume a considerable amount of spiritual power. He advised, "Danyah, don't waste your spiritual energy. Besides, these spirits are not something you can eliminate completely."
A slight curve formed on Danyah's lips, and he smiled warmly, "My understanding is shallow. This is my first time seeing ghosts, so I simply wanted to test if they could be burned by spirit fire. Elder, please rest assured, I will not act recklessly."
The Ghost Infant was a ghost cultivator, a ghost cultivator disguised as a human cultivator.
That person had taught him techniques to conceal his ghost cultivator aura. As long as he did not use ghost cultivator methods in front of powerful beings, no one would detect his true nature.
However, these souls, by nature, felt a kinship with ghost cultivators. Therefore, he had to concentrate all his attention on suppressing the aura within him, not provoking them, lest he arouse suspicion.
Seeing Danyah's indifferent and cold-blooded treatment of these spirits, and his immediate destruction of these residual souls, he couldn't help but feel a pang of discomfort.
Throughout the journey, he had remained solitary. The voices he heard most often were those of Aunt Ziying, and occasionally the voices of Aunt Fangrui speaking with others.
There were three women in this entourage, yet he had few opportunities to hear the voice of that mortal.
But that person could never be just a mortal.
Or perhaps, he had misheard. The familiarity he felt earlier was merely because the voice of Liu Jiangfusheng's mortal wife sounded somewhat like hers?
—
They continued to advance through the ruins leveled by large stone slabs. Along the path, the ancient and magnificent buildings were either destroyed or had collapsed.
They perished silently in the desolate years, with corroded green vines clinging to the desolate stone pillars and the slanting eaves of blue tiles… Among the ghosts accompanying them, one could occasionally see one or two cultivators dressed in Taoist robes, their eyes vacant, their faces pale and their movements bewildered.
Perhaps after looking for a long time, even though it was quite eerie, since they did not harm people, they were not constantly trembling in fear.
Ziying asked curiously, "Where are they going?"
Elder Jiuli had no intention of satisfying their curiosity indefinitely, "Let's not waste any more time. Hurry up."
The Ghost Infant heard Ziying's disappointed "Oh" and blurted out, "To the Bridge of Crossing."
"What do you mean by the Bridge of Crossing?" Ziying didn't understand and tilted her head, waiting expectantly for him to elaborate.
The Ghost Infant tightened his hand, but his lips were sealed, and he spoke no further.
Gu Junshi continued to lead her beloved husband at the rear. She glanced at the Ghost Infant with a meaningful look in her eyes and suddenly said, "Every day at midnight, lonely spirits and wandering ghosts are driven by instinct to seek the Bridge of Souls, also called the Bridge of Crossing, or more colloquially, the Bridge of Naihe."
As soon as she spoke, the Ghost Infant froze completely.
He wanted to turn his head, but he restrained himself at the last second.
It was her!
While voices could be similar, the cadence, fluctuations, and breathing habits of a person's speech were not so easily imitated.
But why would it be her?
How could she be Liu Jiangfusheng's wife?!
The color drained from the Ghost Infant's face, and his mind felt like it was exploding, aching and swelling.
Meanwhile, Ziying smiled and turned back, "Sister knows so much."
She then turned back again, asking the Ghost Infant, "Junior Nephew, is Sister Gu correct?"
The Ghost Infant mumbled "Mm" distractedly, then quickened his pace to walk forward.
Ziying was surprised.
She really did know.
Wasn't it said that Gu Yi was just an ordinary peasant woman in the mortal world? But she didn't seem like one. If someone told her that she had once disguised herself as a man and secretly taken the imperial examinations to become a top scholar, she would have believed them.
Mainly… her demeanor was too outstanding. Even if she wore a sack, she would look like she was on a secret inspection tour.
So, could there be a possibility…
That Gu Yi… was a soul transference?