The Horrible Organization Again . . .
"Observe closely," Cha Eun Xiao urged, examining the peculiar wound. "The surface appears smooth, but the damage is extensive, crushing his heart. To inflict such an injury, I surmise that when the attack occurred, he was utterly unprepared. As the sword pierced his heart, realization dawned, but it was too late. The weapon had penetrated deep into his heart, shattering it and leaving him with this fatal wound."
"It certainly appears to be a surprise attack," Han Bingxue countered.
"He must have been caught off guard," Cha Eun Xiao explained. "His assailant executed a surprise strike, which is the only explanation for a wound of this nature. If your mind wasn't muddled, you'd comprehend the implication of a surprise attack."
Han Bingxue, somewhat chastened, found herself at a loss for words.
[Is it too much to ask for a little more respect, boss? Why can't you put it more gently?]
"I was indeed ambushed," the Grey Mountain Stranger weakly interjected. There was a noticeable improvement in his complexion and vitality. The three of them recognized that this was a brief resurgence of consciousness preceding his imminent demise. Cha Eun Xiao's dan bead had rekindled his dwindling life energy, a testament to the potency of such supreme dan beads.
"She appeared before me, bearing the likeness of my deceased wife," Guo Meng explained with a bitter smile. He gazed skyward, his eyes unfocused, and shared, "My wife passed away... thirteen years ago."
"At first, I believed it was a dream. Even if it were a dream, I wished to savor every moment, to closely study her once more..."
He chuckled, a pained, blood-soaked laugh escaping his lips. "When I saw her... I was taken aback... I could scarcely maintain my composure... I didn't even realize it when she thrust the blade into me... I felt no pain..."
"But it's fine, really... dying in the presence of someone who mirrors my wife, even if it's a ruse, even if it was just a dream... I was able to see her once more..."
Guo Meng's gaze dimmed as he continued, struggling to extend a hand with a ring on one finger. "Thank you for your dan bead. It granted me the opportunity to utter my final words. This ring... is for you... If you're able, please lay me to rest in Grey Mountain... I wish to be reunited with my wife in death..."
With those parting words, his head slumped to the side, and his life extinguished.
The renowned Grey Mountain Stranger had passed away, his vacant eyes beseeching Cha Eun Xiao. In those eyes, there lingered no anger, no resentment—only tranquility. His final wish was to find eternal rest beside his beloved wife in Grey Mountain.
Xuan Bing and Han Bingxue were baffled by Guo Meng's revelation. They found it difficult to comprehend.
"How is this possible? He couldn't recognize his own wife? His wife passed away thirteen years ago. This is truly perplexing..."
"It's indeed perplexing. Could he not differentiate between the living and the deceased?" Han Bingxue pondered, her brow furrowing in confusion.
These were valid questions.
"He shouldn't be so unhinged. As a level eight Dao Origin Stage cultivator, his mental fortitude should be far greater. How could he be so easily distracted?" Xuan Bing shared her confusion. "What's even more peculiar is that someone attacked him, brought about his demise, yet he bore no anger or resentment. It's inexplicable..."
Cha Eun Xiao, unlike his companions, understood the implications behind Guo Meng's revelation when the discussion turned to the attacker resembling his wife.
He wasn't more experienced than Xuan Bing and Han Bingxue in this matter, as he had encountered the same scenario with Xiao Mufei. Both individuals had yearned for their beloved ones, prioritizing the reunion over all else, even in their final moments. To them, the prospect of reuniting with their loved ones held more significance than anything else in their lives. They had no regrets.
Cha Eun Xiao sighed. The nefarious secret organization was in motion once more.
"It would take too long to explain all this," Cha Eun Xiao mused as he carefully removed the space ring from Guo Meng's finger. A cursory inspection revealed nothing exceptional inside the ring. While the ring didn't contain an abundance of materials, the few items it held were of remarkable quality.
Cha Eun Xiao's attention was drawn to a collection of books, their contents chronicling Guo Meng's experiences in martial arts cultivation. Ordinarily, such texts would be considered invaluable for ordinary individuals, akin to receiving guidance from a supremely skilled cultivator. However, the three of them were seasoned practitioners who had attained great heights in their cultivation journeys, rendering these books of little consequence to them. They had transcended the need for such guidance.
Among the books, one item caught their collective gaze—a well-preserved picture. The image depicted a lady, graced with beautiful eyebrows and a radiant smile, as though she were fixated on a captivating sight. The lifelike representation tugged at their heartstrings.
"I believe this is Guo Meng's wife," Xuan Bing said, her tone tinged with sadness. She continued, "Guo Meng carried this image of his wife with him wherever he went. He was a man of deep emotions and sensitivity."
"I had no inkling that the Grey Mountain Stranger was a man of such love and affection," Han Bingxue lamented. He, too, felt sympathy for Guo Meng.
Cha Eun Xiao wasted no time. He ignited a fire and reduced Guo Meng's remains to ashes. The ashes were carefully collected and placed within a receptacle, which, in turn, was safeguarded within his personal space ring.
Xuan Bing and Han Bingxue lent their assistance, their collective efforts a gesture of respect for the departed Grey Mountain Stranger. Once the task was complete, they sighed in unison.
[No matter how formidable one might have been in life, how they might have conquered the world, in the end, all that remains is a pile of ashes. Ultimately, someone must attend to their mortal remains, lest they decay in the wild or become sustenance for scavengers...]
"Life in the martial world..." Han Bingxue mused, his mood somber.
Guo Meng might not have attained the pinnacle of cultivation prowess, but his name carried renown. Yet, in the end, he perished in obscurity, far from the eyes of the world.
Life in the martial world was a perilous journey where the only certainty was the inevitability of death. Another soul had been lost to the annals of history.
"Let's move on. I'll provide you with a full account of what I know," Cha Eun Xiao suggested.
...
As Cha Eun Xiao recounted the harrowing events surrounding the attack on Xiao Mufei and how he believed it was connected to the ongoing mystery, they had distanced themselves by dozens of miles from the place where Guo Meng had met his fate. Xuan Bing and Han Bingxue were left flabbergasted by his revelations, their emotions a turbulent mixture of shock and indignation.
"To think that such vile deeds exist!"
"These individuals are engaging in unconscionable, unforgivable, and heinous actions!"