Chapter 111: A Request to Meet

Chapter 111: A Request to Meet

It turned out that Su Mo was still full of youthful vigor.

And Yang Xiaoyun, despite her usual carefree demeanor, could not be denied her beauty.

There were many bruises on her body, and Su Mo channeled his inner energy into his palms, guiding it through her meridians to promote blood flow. The effect was immediate wherever the energy passed.

However, in this silence, both of them seemed somewhat distracted.

Seeing this, Su Mo knew they couldn't continue like this.

If things got out of hand, something "immoral" might happen.

She had just fought with Yang Yizhi for his sake, and he had just brought her back. Acting recklessly now would be too disrespectful.

Taking a deep breath, he asked:

"Sister Xiaoyun, what exactly happened today? Why did you get so angry? Is it because you've been coming over here these past few days?"

Yang Xiaoyun, lying there, tightened her fingers slightly upon hearing this but then sighed:

"Don't overthink it. This has nothing to do with that."

"Hmm?"

"Sigh..."

Yang Xiaoyun sighed again. "Do you remember Wu Chenfeng?"

"..."

Su Mo raised an eyebrow slightly and softly replied, "Yes."

"I came to Ziyang Escort Agency today to practice with you, but my father stopped me... He wanted to have a serious talk with me.

"It just so happened that I also wanted to have an honest conversation with him after returning.

"Our marriage needs a resolution.

"If he agrees, it would be great for everyone. If not, at least I can understand the issue and avoid confusion.

"But unexpectedly, after just a few words, he told me not to associate with you anymore.

"In the past, he could use your lack of discipline as an excuse, but after your battle in Profound Theory Valley, your reputation has soared, yet he still insists on this. Naturally, I defended you.

"But then, he became furious, threatening my future prospects.

"He also said that Fallen Phoenix Alliance is a prestigious organization, and only someone from there is worthy of his precious daughter..."

She sighed again, not because of the topic, but because Su Mo's massage was making her feel better, her blood flowing smoothly.

Su Mo's warm palms made her feel comfortable everywhere they touched, almost entrancing her for a moment before she continued:

"When I heard this, I felt something was off. After pressing him, I found out that Wu Chenfeng's persistent pursuit of me, though not approved, was tacitly accepted by him.

"Moreover, he has secretly allied with Wu Daoyou, aiming to help him become the leader of Fallen Phoenix Alliance.

"He told me that if this plan succeeds, Iron Blood Escort Agency will be the top escort agency in the Four Cities, Three Rivers, and Two Bays!"

"Hmm..."

Su Mo nodded slightly.

"Why aren't you surprised?"

Yang Xiaoyun suddenly turned to look at Su Mo.

Su Mo sighed: "I already knew about Wu Daoyou and Uncle Yang's alliance."

"You knew?"

Yang Xiaoyun was shocked and turned to look at Su Mo. "When?"

"The night before I gave Liu Suifeng the Dragon Roar Box."

Su Mo explained: "That night, I went to see Wu Chenfeng."

"...He told you?"

"This person is quite honest, but he doesn't know much."

Su Mo continued: "Once, he saw Uncle Yang talking with his father at Wu Manor. After that, his father instructed him to find a way to marry you."

"What a bastard, he must have eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard."

Yang Xiaoyun was enraged and tried to sit up, but Su Mo pressed her back down: "Calm down, it's not over yet..."

"Oh..."

Yang Xiaoyun's anger subsided, but she still fumed: "No wonder Wu Chenfeng had such audacity. It seems this was a plan cooked up by those two old men, keeping me in the dark."

"What good would it do to tell you?"

Su Mo shook his head and smiled: "You are set on becoming a member of the Su family. Even though your father treats me coldly, you haven't wavered. Besides..."

"Besides what?"

"Besides, I originally thought this was their strategy of feigning one thing while planning another."

"Feigning a direct route while attacking secretly..."

Yang Xiaoyun pondered for a moment and then realized, "Yes, Wu Chenfeng's public pursuit of me is merely a cover. In reality, they've already formed a secret alliance. The information gap works to their advantage, with no downside whatsoever. Compared to that, whether Wu Chenfeng makes any progress with me is actually irrelevant to them.

"Furthermore, this move can also serve as bait... Zuo Qiuyang's initial plan wasn't about Hua Qianyu and Wei Ziyi, but rather Father and Wu Daoyou!"

"Exactly."

Su Mo nodded. "So, from the beginning, I suspected that the person who asked Ji Shuhua to entrust the escort might very well be Wu Daoyou.

"Even if it wasn't him, he must have been involved. They wanted to use this opportunity to uncover and eliminate their hidden adversary.

"However, we didn't expect so many twists and turns to occur later on.

"The Youquan Cult, Wei Ziyi, Hua Qianyu... all got entangled in this mess.

"In the end, they didn't need to do anything; Zuo Qiuyang was taken care of.

"But... there's still one thing I don't quite understand."

"Which part?"

Yang Xiaoyun was curious but then waved her hand. "Never mind, forget it. Your thoughts are so convoluted; who knows what you're thinking. Keeping such information from me... humph."

At this point, Yang Xiaoyun felt a bit upset.

Su Mo found it amusing. Despite her usual boldness, she was still a woman at heart.

He spoke softly, "I didn't want you to know about this to avoid putting you in a difficult position. That night, when the Sword Envoy of Qijue Hall came and pointed a horse as a deer, a black-clad figure took away the assassin after I exchanged blows with him. At that time, I suspected it might be Uncle Yang... I wanted to tell you, but without concrete evidence, it would have been pointless to say more.

"Later in Heavenly Feather City, you said the black-clad figure bore no resemblance to Uncle Yang.

"Upon returning to Sunset City, we learned that Uncle Yang had never left Iron Blood Escort Agency... thus, there was no need to mention it anymore."

Yang Xiaoyun fell silent upon hearing this.

Su Mo gently turned her over, and as their eyes met, Yang Xiaoyun blushed. Su Mo then lifted her arm. "The part I don't understand is simple... If my previous deductions were correct, Wu Daoyou and Uncle Yang were secretly collaborating, using Wu Chenfeng's pursuit of you as a cover to lure out those who opposed them.

"My assassination attempt in the narrow alley was exactly what they wanted.

"Therefore, they would have targeted Zuo Qiuyang.

"But Wei Ziyi's intervention disrupted their plans.

"In the end, Wei Ziyi rose to become the Eighth Alliance Leader and Deputy City Lord of Heavenly Feather City.

"This outcome does not benefit Wu Daoyou's bid for the Grand Alliance Leader position.

"If they were truly monitoring this, how could they let Wei Ziyi and Hua Qianyu succeed?"

"Perhaps..."

Yang Xiaoyun frowned slightly. "Maybe they had no opportunity to act?"

"Impossible."

Su Mo shook his head. "Zhan Ming was imprisoned in the city lord's mansion, and the commotion was widespread. Even if Wu Daoyou were blind and deaf, he would have heard about it. That was the perfect chance to intervene, yet he allowed Wei Ziyi to succeed in her trap and find Zuo Qiuyang."

Yang Xiaoyun felt her head buzzing and weakly asked:

"So, what do you think happened?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't say it's confusing."

"Thinking about it, it is indeed puzzling. Do you think Wu Daoyou might be working for Wei Ruhan?"

"..."

Su Mo glanced at Yang Xiaoyun.

Yang Xiaoyun was taken aback. "What?"

"If that's the case, the Fallen Phoenix Alliance dispute may soon come to an end."

If Wu Daoyou is also working for Wei Ruhan, with Hua Qianyu being Wei Ruhan's daughter-in-law and Wei Ziyi his granddaughter, four out of the eight alliance leaders are now aligned.

It's almost certain who the Grand Alliance Leader will be.

Su Mo thought for a moment and said, "But the Fallen Phoenix Alliance dispute doesn't really concern us. It's good that you're out of Iron Blood Escort Agency now, avoiding getting entangled in this mess."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded. "Yes, let's not worry about the Fallen Phoenix Alliance. Apart from Zuo Qiuyang, everything else is unrelated to us... if Father wants to get involved, let him."

Su Mo nodded slightly, but recalling Yang Yizhi's actions today, he still found something odd.

As the saying goes, a father knows his daughter best. Yang Yizhi should understand Yang Xiaoyun's character well.

Was today's reaction due to reaching his limit regarding Yang Xiaoyun and himself?

Or did he have another motive?

After some thought, Su Mo shared his suspicions with Yang Xiaoyun.

Yang Xiaoyun shook her head:

"His mindset has changed. Now, he may not understand me, and I may not understand him... let's not talk about him. Instead, we should focus on the escort agency. With these people who came with me, we can start taking on some contracts."

"That's an unexpected blessing. I was worried that the new recruits during this critical period might be problematic."

Su Mo said, "Those who came today should all be trustworthy, right?"

"Hmm, they've been with me for years now."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded. "Ziyang Escort Agency is in dire need of revival. Now that we have the manpower, it's time to start organizing everything."

Talking about this, both of them became a bit excited. They immediately discussed everything from preparing carriages and customizing uniforms to assigning roles—who would be the outriders, who would carry the flags, who would be the guards, and who would be the chief escort.

They went over every detail.

By the end of their discussion, Su Mo had also finished treating Yang Xiaoyun's injuries.

Yang Xiaoyun got up, feeling much lighter.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Su Mo went to the door and opened it slightly. Outside stood Uncle Fu, holding a bowl:

"I brewed some medicine specifically for bruises and injuries. Young Master, please have Miss Yun drink it."

"Thank you, Uncle Fu. Could you also bring some food to the room later? It's better if she stays out of sight for now."

"Sure thing, is Miss Yun alright?"

"She's fine."

Su Mo said, "Uncle Yang still has some restraint."

"He doesn't have any restraint at all."

Uncle Fu was quite displeased with this statement. "Do you really think no one else can protect Miss Yun besides him? I say, Young Master, don't drag your feet. Marry Miss Yun sooner rather than later. She cares deeply for you. You shouldn't delay her..."

"I know, I know."

Su Mo closed the door with a wry smile.

Yang Xiaoyun asked curiously, "Who was it?"

"Uncle Fu."

Su Mo brought the bowl closer. "Drink it. Uncle Fu made it for you. After eating, rest for a while, and by tomorrow morning, you'll be fine."

"Okay."

Yang Xiaoyun obediently nodded, drank the medicine, and lay down, covering herself with the blanket. She silently watched Su Mo.

Their eyes met, and Su Mo blinked. "Close your eyes and rest for a while."

"...With you staring at me like this, how can I sleep?"

Su Mo turned his back to her. Yang Xiaoyun smiled slightly, pondered for a moment, and then gently held onto Su Mo's sleeve, feeling reassured. She closed her eyes, and her breathing gradually calmed.

The room fell completely silent.

...

...

That night, Su Mo didn't leave Yang Xiaoyun's room. With her injuries, it was inconvenient for her to do anything alone during the night. Having Su Mo around to take care of her made things much easier.

This interaction was different from when they were on the road, sharing a room during escort missions.

For both of them, the difference in feelings could only be silently appreciated.

The night passed quietly, and by dawn, Yang Xiaoyun couldn't sit still anymore. She stretched, and most of her injuries had already healed.

Su Mo wanted her to rest more, but Yang Xiaoyun shook her head:

"Why rest? We're martial artists; these kinds of injuries are nothing to us. The day starts in the morning. Come on, let's spar!"

"We still need to go out and buy supplies later."

Su Mo couldn't argue with her, but seeing her state, he decided to let her do as she pleased.

They sparred, ate, and then went out to purchase household items.

Suddenly, their days became busy. When Su Mo was alone, even though he knew Ziyang Escort Agency needed revival, he wasn't sure what to do.

In this aspect, he lacked the meticulousness of Yang Xiaoyun.

She thought of almost everything in great detail.

Su Mo only thought of clothes and weapons.

Yang Xiaoyun, however, considered everything from the stone locks used by the guards to practice their skills to the small utensils needed for cooking on the road. She made sure everything was well-equipped.

With her experience leading escort missions over the past few years, she had far more practical knowledge than Su Mo.

She made a long list and personally oversaw the purchases. It took two full days to get everything organized.

Then she began urging the guards and outriders to practice their skills in the training ground whenever they had free time.

Those who came from Iron Blood Escort Agency weren't just trained in spear techniques; many had backgrounds and origins.

At the very least, they had learned some basic martial arts in town martial arts schools.

Some had even apprenticed under skilled masters and learned genuine martial arts.

Xiaochuan, for example, was an excellent swordsman.

He initially apprenticed under a destitute swordsman and learned swordsmanship. However, after entering the martial world, he didn't achieve much fame with his skills.

Because of a conflict with someone, he nearly died on the roadside in the Jianghu.

But by a stroke of luck, he obtained a set of sword techniques and internal martial arts.

Practicing these diligently, his internal martial arts greatly improved, and his sword skills soared as if he had become a new person.

However, after his previous encounters, he realized his shortcomings.

On one hand, he lacked experience in the Jianghu and sometimes unknowingly offended people. On the other hand, his martial arts needed more refinement.

He eventually made his way to Sunset City and joined the Iron Blood Escort Agency to earn a living.

Since joining the escort agency, he has been working under Yang Xiaoyun for three and a half years now.

In terms of martial arts, he is indeed the strongest among the group of escort guards.

Su Mo personally sought advice from Xiaochuan on his sword techniques and found them to be truly excellent.

However, they could not compare to Su Mo's own skills. His Life-Stealing Thirteen Swords, after being honed by the Three Commanders, have evolved into fifteen moves, each one a deadly technique.

The Heavenly Rainbow Heart-Questing Sword, which he later acquired, is the signature skill that made Liu Suifeng famous.

Over the past few days, he has been practicing it daily, making rapid progress.

Casually giving Xiaochuan a few pointers further amazed him.

Once this started, the young escort guards began pestering Su Mo for guidance in their martial arts.

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun, having nothing else to do, did not refuse.

The Eight Desolate Dragon Cloud Piercing Spear and Su Mo's entire martial arts repertoire could not be casually passed on.

However, the experience and tricks could be shared. Sometimes, a single piece of advice can surpass ten years of hard training, though this might sound exaggerated, it is not entirely without merit.

Under these circumstances, the Ziyang Escort Agency gradually got back on track.

As for Yang Xiaoyun leaving the Iron Blood Escort Agency due to a conflict between Su Mo and Yang Yizhi, someone unfortunately spread the news.

All sorts of rumors emerged.

Especially at this critical moment, news of the alliance between the Iron Blood Escort Agency and Deputy City Lord Wu Daoyou also leaked, putting the Iron Blood Escort Agency under intense scrutiny.

Some said that Yang Yizhi was blinded by greed, breaking an old agreement and tarnishing his reputation.

Others claimed that Su Mo's earlier wild ways made him an unsuitable match, and it was reasonable for Yang Yizhi not to want his daughter to marry him.

Regardless of the opinions, Wu Daoyou, the third leader of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance, had a clear path to expand eastward.

It was heard that two days ago, Yang Yizhi and Wu Daoyou left Sunset City, leading their forces eastward, but their specific intentions remained unknown.

This development likely caused many restless nights within the Fallen Phoenix Alliance.

However, these matters were currently irrelevant to Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun, especially when several carriages leisurely stopped in front of the Ziyang Escort Agency.

A middle-aged man with a prosperous appearance stepped out of the carriage with the help of a servant.

He handed a visiting card to one of his subordinates and instructed them to go inside and announce his arrival.

"Just say that the head of the Wanxin Trading Company seeks an audience with Chief Su Mo!"