Chapter 1185 - 393: Broke Support Martial Artist

By the time Su Yue and Ma Xiaoyu arrived, the street adjacent to You’an Mansion was already packed with people. The street directly in front of the building, however, had been cordoned off with police tape. The once-bustling street was now empty, save for a few staff members hurrying back and forth making preparations. Su Yue and Ma Xiaoyu didn’t rush to the front, choosing instead to stand at the back of the crowd.

At the very front of the crowd, Su Yue could faintly make out Sima Lingling and Lu Xiliang, along with Lu Jianghao, who was confined to a wheelchair. Su Yue had excellent eyesight. He could see that Lu Jianghao looked terrible, like someone suffering from a severe illness. Lu Jianghao had always been gaunt, but now he was nothing more than skin and bones. His complexion was sallow, devoid of the slightest hint of color.

It didn’t make sense. During the battle in Jing Niao City, Lu Jianghao had led the auxiliary Martial Artists into the fray. They had restarted the Twilight Clock, turning the tide in the Wet Realm and shining brilliantly, causing an absolute sensation. Back then, Lu Jianghao had given off the impression of a warrior who was still as sharp as ever, like the legendary veteran general Huang Zhong taking the battlefield.

How much time had even passed since the war ended? Why did Lu Jianghao look like he was on death’s door? One had to remember that Lu Jianghao was the most senior elder and spiritual leader among the auxiliary Martial Artists. He was also a Martial Artist himself. Unless he had suffered some incurable, critical injury, he shouldn’t be this weak. The meridians of a Martial Artist were different; they couldn’t catch the diseases of ordinary people. Furthermore, the Divine Land treated Lu Jianghao well. In his twilight years, he was absolutely treated with the respect and accommodations befitting a General.

"Senior Brother, bet you didn’t expect so many Martial Artists to come and bid farewell to You’an Mansion!" Ma Xiaoyu whispered softly.

"Yeah, I really didn’t. Are all the Martial Artists on this street auxiliary Martial Artists?" Su Yue frowned.

It didn’t seem like it. Among this crowd of Martial Artists, there were successful people in suits and leather shoes, deliverymen carrying Martial Arts Network crates, and retired Martial Artists rolling iron balls in their hands. Su Yue even spotted many Martial Artists from the Military Department in the crowd. They wore the uniforms of various legions, their eyes sharp and piercing. At a glance, they were clearly fierce and battle-hardened experts. These people couldn’t possibly be auxiliary Martial Artists. The age span was also quite large, ranging from the elderly to the youth.

Ma Xiaoyu explained to Su Yue in a low voice, "You’an Mansion used to be the registry office for auxiliary Martial Artists. It was also the only memorial hall for them, as well as a place for auxiliary Martial Artists to exchange experiences.

"This building was originally constructed for auxiliary Martial Artists. Naturally, the Martial Artists who came to bid it farewell today are all auxiliary Martial Artists.

"Of course, due to the gradual perfection of the Wet Realm Fortress, combined with the fact that Divine Land Martial Artists are becoming increasingly dominant, the role of auxiliary Martial Artists has grown weaker and weaker. Eventually, most of them switched to other martial paths. All these strangers used to be auxiliary Martial Artists.

"Another reason is the battle at Jing Niao City. The Twilight Clock’s brilliant performance reminded these Martial Artists of their former identities. It’s likely they started contacting each other more frequently, which led to such a grand turnout today.

"To be honest, I didn’t expect so many people to come either."

She had been cultivating in Sima Lingling’s villa, keeping abreast of all kinds of news regarding auxiliary Martial Artists—and it was all first-hand information. Being able to explain things to Su Yue gave her a slight sense of pride. In truth, Ma Xiaoyu didn’t have any deep emotional attachment to You’an Mansion. After all, by their generation, there were only a precious few auxiliary Martial Artists left, and they had never lived in You’an Mansion.

"So that’s how it is!" Su Yue nodded.

So they were all former auxiliary Martial Artists who had since changed paths. No wonder their gazes were so complex as they looked at You’an Mansion. The older the Martial Artist, the more sorrowful they appeared. There were also some youngsters scattered among them, likely dragged along by their elders, sporting expressions of sheer boredom. Similar to Ma Xiaoyu’s situation, even if the younger generation had studied auxiliary combat methods on the side, they didn’t really feel anything toward You’an Mansion.

A single decade was an entire era. Many young Martial Artists simply couldn’t fathom how glorious auxiliary Martial Artists used to be. Frankly, although Su Yue had visited once before, he didn’t harbor any sentimental attachment either. Emotional bonds required time to settle and deepen, and the youth of this generation just hadn’t been given that chance.

"Junior Sister, Teacher Lu Jianghao looks incredibly weak. Do you know what happened?" Su Yue asked.

Ma Xiaoyu sighed, then explained. "I’m not entirely sure about the details, but it seems to be because of some government document.

"When he returned from the Jing Niao City battlefield, Teacher Lu Jianghao was in high spirits. Even though the Twilight Clock was completely shattered, he carefully collected the pieces. His mental state was perfectly fine. In fact, he was incredibly proud, telling everyone he met that he hadn’t disgraced the Twilight Clock, that he had participated in a battle that slaughtered a Peak-level expert, and that he hadn’t brought shame to the legacy of the auxiliary lineage.

"But just a few days ago, the government sent over a letter. Because of this letter, Teacher Lu Jianghao locked himself away for three days and three nights. When he finally emerged, my mentor and martial uncle had to rush him to the hospital.

"During those three days he spent locked in his room, my mentor and martial uncle were extremely depressed, and a few of our elders couldn’t even eat or sleep. The atmosphere in the entire villa was unbelievably heavy."

"A government letter? Do you know what was in it?" Su Yue asked instinctively. After asking, he let out a bitter laugh, realizing how stupid that question was.