The Tale of Grievance Souls?

The Tale of Grievance Souls?

"That Li Family's Wife was a famous beauty for miles around. What a pity she married such a good-for-nothing husband. To pay off his gambling debts, he actually tried to sell his wife to a brothel..."

"Li Family's Wife was a strong-willed woman. That very night, she hanged herself in the brothel."

"How could the brothel's tyrant possibly let the matter rest? The next day, he brought Li Family's Wife's corpse to the Li Family."

"There was quite a commotion. The entire Li Family was stripped bare, and Li Family's Man was beaten half to death..."

"Yet even after that, Li Family's Man still refused to mend his ways. That very night, he ran off to the gambling den again. Li Family's Wife's corpse was simply left there until some kindhearted neighbors nearby helped gather it up and dragged it outside the city to bury it."

"At first, everyone thought the matter had passed just like that, and that the Li Family had simply fallen into ruin."

"But what happened next is something you probably never could have imagined..."

At this point, the Storyteller suddenly began playing coy. The audience below immediately urged him on one after another, and those who knew the ropes had already begun stuffing coins into the money jar before him.

Even Chu Mu couldn't help feeling a little curious.

According to the Storyteller, what happened next didn't seem difficult to guess. With Li Family's Man's character, the Li Family's downfall had been inevitable. It wouldn't have been surprising if he had died somewhere outside before long.

But seeing the Storyteller tease the matter so dramatically, things clearly weren't that simple.

Chu Mu raised his teacup and took a sip, his gaze once again settling squarely on the Storyteller.

"You probably won't believe me, but that's exactly how it happened."

"On the eighth day after Li Family's Wife died, Li Family's Man woke up from a night's sleep and suddenly went mad. He begged forgiveness and admitted his mistakes whenever he saw anyone, and kept repeating Li Family's Wife's name..."

"The tyrant who ran the brothel was also found hanged there. The most terrifying part was that the room where the tyrant hanged himself was the very same room where Li Family's Wife had hanged herself—and even the spot where they hung themselves was exactly the same..."

The Storyteller truly had a silver tongue. At this point, the clamor in the restaurant suddenly died down, leaving it nearly as silent as a deserted village. Even Chu Mu suddenly felt a deep chill envelop his entire body.

"Is that true...? Could it have been Li Family's Wife's grievance soul?"

After quite a while, someone finally stammered out the question.

"I, this old man, don't know either. But back then, the Patrol Inspectorate sent people over, and even the County Commandant was alarmed. They still couldn't discover the truth of the matter, and in the end, it became an unsolved case..."

"But as I see it, the world turns in cycles, and retribution never misses its mark. Even if Li Family's Wife turned into a grievance soul to seek revenge, it would only be natural..."

The Storyteller raised his tea, took a sip, shook his head, and said calmly, utterly unruffled.

Hearing the words "Patrol Inspectorate," Chu Mu couldn't help freezing. He had thought the Storyteller was telling a story. How had it turned out to be a real incident?

"Such a mysterious affair, and I've never heard of it. Old Li, you didn't make this up, did you?"

Someone else voiced his doubts. But as soon as he finished speaking, before the Storyteller could respond, someone below the stage spoke up in defense.

"This really happened. It's just that I was still young when the incident occurred. Back then, the whole city was thrown into a panic, and the Patrol Bureau investigated for a long time without uncovering anything..."

"That's right. I heard about it from my grandfather too. Everyone said it was Li Family's Wife's grievance soul coming to claim a life. Oh, and Li Family's Man seems to still be alive. Isn't there a madman near the south gate of the county city? I think that's probably Li Family's Man..."

It was as if someone had opened the floodgates. One knowledgeable person after another began speaking from below.

"Sir, your food and wine."

Chu Mu hadn't had time to think further when the Shop Assistant interrupted his thoughts.

"Sir, all your food and wine have been served. If you need anything else, just call for me."

Chu Mu nodded and glanced at the food and wine on the table, but his gaze turned toward the floor below once more.

Now that the floodgates had opened, the discussion surrounding the Storyteller's tale had grown increasingly lively.

After combining what the others had said, it was basically possible to confirm the Storyteller's tale was true. The only remaining question was whether it had been the work of people or the so-called supernatural.

After pondering for a moment, Chu Mu ultimately didn't dwell on it. According to what the people downstairs had said, the incident had taken place at least several decades ago. The details had long since been ground to dust by the passing years.

Besides, three people making a tiger, rumor breeding rumor—there probably weren't many who knew what had truly happened.

Chu Mu shook his head. He didn't really believe in ghosts and spirits.

Although something as bizarre as transmigration had happened to him, if grievance souls truly existed...

Then the Nanshan Iron Mine would have become a nest of ghosts long ago.

After all, in the short time since he had joined the Patrol Inspectorate, dozens upon dozens of lives had already been lost in that mine! And as far as he knew, this wasn't some special accident during an exceptional period. It was practically the norm at the Mine.

After all, the Mine had been operating for far too long. The facilities in many places had fallen into disrepair, and the mining techniques were far too primitive.

Of course, the most important factor was still the Mine managers' dereliction of duty.

It could be said without exaggeration that every piece of iron smelted by the Iron Refinery had been stained with blood.

If grievance souls really existed, then failing to kill a few Patrol Inspectors every few days for entertainment would be letting down the many lives lost in the Mine.

Yet in the nearly month he had spent entering the Mine, Chu Mu had never heard of a single Patrol Inspector losing his life.

The facts clearly spoke louder than eloquence.

Still, he kept the mention of the madman in South City in mind. Once he went to the county city later, he would find some time to take a look. It wouldn't delay him.

As he mulled it over, the teacup in his hand was replaced by a wine cup. Once the wine entered his belly, heat surged upward, and the chill that had seeped into him after standing in the wind and snow all morning seemed to vanish in an instant.

Perfect Spicy Chili packed a fierce heat, while the Roast Goose was rich without being greasy. Together, they tasted even more delicious.

A sip of strong liquor, a bite of Roast Goose dipped in Perfect Spicy Chili, then another mouthful of the rice provided by the establishment.

Chu Mu nursed his drink and sampled his food, listening in all directions. This leisurely meal was a thoroughly pleasant one.

With his belly full and his thirst quenched, it seemed this body had hardly ever touched alcohol before. After one pot of Burning Blade, the liquor had already begun to go to his head.

He felt dizzy, yet his whole body was warm and comfortable, as though he had been placed inside a blazing furnace.

Chu Mu wasn't in a hurry to leave the restaurant. Leaning against the railing, he listened to the clamor within the establishment and rested there for quite some time before calling the Shop Assistant over to settle the bill.

One Roast Goose and one pot of strong liquor cost thirty copper coins, which could barely be considered good value for money...

After paying and leaving the restaurant, the wind and snow finally came to a complete stop. Heat continued surging through his body along with the effects of the alcohol, and he no longer felt much of the cold.

Although the wind and snow had stopped, the pedestrians in the streets still hurried along beneath the bitter cold. Wealthy families even had carriages or sedan chairs leading the way. Under the influence of the alcohol, Chu Mu appeared rather leisurely.

He strolled along slowly. Before he knew it, accompanied by the twittering voices of women, a faint fragrance of face powder drifted into his nose.

"Wind and Moon Tower..."

The women that met his eyes were all coquettish and alluring.

The bitter winter did nothing to dampen their professional spirit. Ribbons fluttered, gauze revealed hazy glimpses, and even more alluring figures stepped into the wind and snow to welcome Chu Mu.

Chu Mu smacked his lips. Wasn't he supposed to be heading home? How had he ended up here?...