He thought it over before he explained. “Most likely… an average man is guiltless, but being talented is a crime. I never saw Rong Xuan’s swordsmanship, only hearing that the words ‘unprecedented and unreplicable’ were truly loathed. He hadn’t yet reached thirty when he made up his own sect, creating the renowned ‘Feng Shan Sword’ – not being able to witness the mountain-splitting, sea-dividing Feng Shan Swordplay in this lifetime is a huge regret. His Feng Shan Sword was split into two volumes; the first was a martial core method, and the second was a sword technique. The latter was his own creation, while the former was said to be an ancient book passed down in secret that he happened to obtain, that which affected and weaved the heart. You should know… the words ‘a peerless master’ alone could make someone go mad.”

“What happened after?” Zhang Chengling asked.

“After, Rong Xuan’s immense grief was enough to put him into a qi deviation; his nature changed greatly, and he began to slaughter innocents at will. With no other option, the Five Great Clans took the lead, even requesting aid of Shan Heling, wanting to join forces to hunt him down —— even though the last time Shan Heling had been in worldly affairs was about thirty or more years. Then, Rong Xuan fled to Qing Zhu Ridge of Feng Ya Mountain, and there, with the people hunting him that were headed by the Five Great Clans, a fierce battle broke out. It was unknown how many died, and purportedly, the dead can still be heard to weep there at night. Who would’ve ever expected that they’d be crossing forces with someone they had been through thick and thin with in the past, not stopping until annihilation?”

Was ‘affection’ in this world truly so fickle?

He paused for a moment, nodding. “That’s right. Qing Zhu Ridge is Ghost Valley. No one can understand to this day why the Ghosts stood by Rong Xuan’s side back then. It’s unknown how many days and nights the battle took, but it ended with Rong Xuan’s suicide. Over half of the realm’s heroes had been impaired, and the Five Great Clans also took a stumble they would henceforth never recover from. As both sides sustained great losses that time, it was only after its conclusion that the Ghost Valley made the rule that those that entered couldn’t leave, buying thirty years of peace.”