Chapter 287: What’s There to Cry About?

Chapter 287: What’s There to Cry About?

If Ding Wugong could subdue Yang Xiaoyun, that would naturally be the best outcome.

Unfortunately, he ended up underestimating Yang Xiaoyun's martial arts.

Even at his peak, he would not be her match, let alone now that he was gravely poisoned.

So, after one move, realizing he couldn’t capture her, he started to think differently...

He wanted to be killed by Yang Xiaoyun!

He knew that trying to kill himself would probably fail.

Su Mo wouldn’t let that happen.

As for whether Su Mo would show mercy and hand over the antidote?

That thought never crossed his mind.

The reason he had been so compliant all this time was simply because he was biding his time.

Yang Xiaoyun's appearance was his chance.

If he couldn’t capture her, then dying at her hands would become the best way to avoid the torment of the Parting Brew.

This wasn’t because he wasn’t afraid of living or dying, but because he was more afraid of being trapped between life and death.

Yet, he never expected that his thoughts would be instantly figured out by Yang Xiaoyun.

As a result, she barely used any internal energy in that last move. It was excruciating, but it was absolutely impossible to kill Ding Wugong directly.

After hearing Yang Xiaoyun's words, Su Mo gave a faint smile but said nothing.

Half a year ago... half a year ago, Ding Wugong was taught the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra by Ren Xiongfei?

That was indeed possible.

The Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra was the ultimate martial art of Wusheng Hall.

Since ancient times, only the hall master was allowed to practice it.

Rumors had it that the manual for this martial art was stolen by Wan Zangxin.

However, the truth was, Wan Zangxin had never laid eyes on it.

So, who ended up with this martial art?

The most standard and likely answer was Ren Xiongfei...

The timing also lined up.

But Su Mo still felt that something felt off.

Ding Wugong appeared obedient, but in reality, he was cunning and scheming. His words were utterly unreliable.

However... the most sophisticated lies are not entirely composed of falsehoods.

They mix truth and falsehood, but with too many flaws to withstand scrutiny.

The most convincing lies are those that are ninety percent true and ten percent false.

Ding Wugong’s words tonight must contain lies, but pinpointing exactly where they are isn’t easy right now.

As he pondered, he smiled and said to Yang Xiaoyun:

"If he didn’t have such intentions, how could he have done so many great things for Ren Xiongfei?"

"Ren Xiongfei?"

Yang Xiaoyun paused, surprised, but didn’t press further.

Given the situation, it wasn’t the right time to ask about such things.

Su Mo shifted his gaze back to Ding Wugong:

"You want to die?"

"..."

Ding Wugong shook his head: "I don’t want to die, but I don’t want to be trapped in a state where I can neither live nor die. Chief Escort Su, rather than letting me suffer the pain of the Parting Brew, it would be better to give me a quick end."

"Hmm, I’ve got a few more questions for you. Are you willing to answer them?"

"Go ahead, Chief Escort Su, ask away."

Ding Wugong responded at once: "I’ll tell you everything I know, holding nothing back."

"Alright."

Su Mo smiled, "You're as good as dead, and I won't let you off. But if you can answer my questions honestly, I might just make it quick for you."

"Thank you, Chief Escort Su."

Ding Wugong clasped his hands earnestly.

The whole thing looked pretty weird.

One person saying, "I’m definitely going to kill you, making it quick for you."

The other thanking him sincerely...

To Su Mo, this didn’t seem like something an upright hero would do, but rather like a menacing, evil villain.

But Su Mo didn't care about that and asked, "What’s your role in Wusheng Hall?"

"I..."

Ding Wugong said, "I’m part of Wusheng Hall’s Dark Hall."

"Dark Hall?"

Su Mo raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly."

Ding Wugong instinctively rubbed his throat, the pain from swallowing the porcelain bottle making every word a struggle.

At this moment, he didn’t have time to worry about these things.

He endured all the discomfort, just hoping to make a better impression on Su Mo.

"Wusheng Hall officially has twelve halls, but in reality, there are thirteen in total.

"Each of the twelve halls has its own role and purpose.

"The Dark Hall is a secretive division...

"Those in the Dark Hall are nameless and faceless within Wusheng Hall. Instead, they don’t even learn Wusheng Hall’s martial arts...

"There are two ways to enter the Dark Hall.

"The first is orphans taken in by Wusheng Hall, raised from childhood to be loyal.

"The second is through recruitment from the martial arts community.

"These people are either desperate and can only seek refuge under Wusheng Hall’s protection,

"or they are manipulated through their vulnerabilities, leaving them no choice but to obey orders."

Su Mo looked thoughtfully at Yang Xiaoyun, who furrowed her brow:

"How come we’ve never heard of the Dark Hall before?"

"...Because the Dark Hall is relatively new."

Ding Wugong said: "It was only about twenty years ago that the Dark Hall of Wusheng Hall was established."

Twenty years ago...

Su Mo asked: "Was it after Wan Yutang assumed leadership of Wusheng Hall?"

"Exactly."

Ding Wugong nodded: "And I was saved by Hall Master Ren in a life-or-death situation, which is how I became a member of Wusheng Hall’s Dark Hall."

Su Mo glanced at him, thought for a moment, and then asked:

"What were the saber techniques I just used?"

"Great Blaze Divine Saber!"

Ding Wugong immediately looked up at Su Mo:

"Chief Escort Su, I also dare to ask.

"The Great Blaze Divine Saber is the legacy technique of the second hall master of Wusheng Hall. It is said that since the disappearance of this second hall master, the technique has been lost. How did you learn it?"

Hearing this, Su Mo believed that the technique had indeed been lost within Wusheng Hall.

Otherwise, how could Ding Wugong not see that his set of saber techniques was just a facade?

But... disappearance?

Su Mo recalled Hu Sandao saying that his martial arts instructor once told him:

"The remaining saber techniques depended on Hu Sandao rescuing someone in Wusheng Hall."

After rescuing this person, they would teach him the remaining blade techniques.

Some things don’t add up here.

Ding Wugong just mentioned that this blade technique is the secret technique of the Second Hall of Wusheng Hall.

The Hall Master vanished, and the technique was lost.

This suggests that only the Second Hall Master knew this martial art.

However, according to the person who taught Hu Sandao, there’s still a second person in Wusheng Hall who knows this technique.

Who might this person be?

And why would they be locked up in Wusheng Hall?

Which of these two is the real former Second Hall Master?

When Hu Sandao mentioned this, he skimmed over the details, and neither of them delved deeper.

After this matter, it’d be worth digging deeper.

But now it seems the situation in Wusheng Hall is even more complicated than expected.

If Dark Hall isn’t just something Ding Wugong made up,

then what was Wan Yutang’s reason for setting up Dark Hall?

How does Dark Hall know so many secrets no one else knows?

Even the fact that Wan Yutang took his men deep into the Great Xuan ruins and found the Parting Brew—how do they know that?

And how did Wan Yutang manage to go so deep into the Great Xuan ruins?

Since the fall of the Great Xuan Dynasty, the ruins have been seen as the most dangerous place in the world.

In the early years, many tried to get in and search for what the Great Xuan Dynasty left behind.

However, they either came back with nothing or didn’t come back at all.

In recent years, though some have gone in, they’ve found nothing.

They couldn’t even find the royal court of the Great Xuan Dynasty...

How did Wan Yutang pull it off?

Su Tianyang once left word that the traitor from the Li Siyun clan fled west.

Yang Yizhi, following the Heaven Gate Master’s leads, also ended up in Wusheng Hall’s territory.

Is this person really hiding in Wusheng Hall?

Why of all places did he pick Wusheng Hall?

At this thought, he suddenly asked:

“When did the original Second Hall Master vanish?”

“Within a year or two of the current hall master taking over.”

Ding Wugong answered without hesitation, "This isn’t a secret. The Wangxuan Mountain Lord must’ve heard about it too."

The Wangxuan Mountain Lord cursed under his breath, but seeing Su Mo’s gaze turn toward him, he nodded immediately:

"This whole thing caused a huge stir back then.

"The Hall Master of the Second Hall, Xiao Xiong, went missing. Wusheng Hall searched everywhere for ages, but came up with nothing in the end.

"The Deputy Hall Master, who was supposed to take over, got wasted at a brothel the night before he was supposed to take over and ended up in a brawl over some woman.

"And just like that, he got himself killed.

"Eventually, the position of Hall Master of the Second Hall went to Bei Zhangzhi, who was a nobody back then, while the Deputy Hall Master role fell to Xiao Feng, who wasn’t even of age yet."

"Xiao Feng?"

Su Mo’s eyebrow twitched.

"Guicang Blade Xiao Feng."

Ding Wugong nodded, "The Great Blaze Divine Saber is the Second Hall Master’s legacy technique. Although Xiao Feng is Xiao Xiong’s son, he wasn’t allowed to train in this saber technique until he took the role.

"But he’d been training with the saber since he was a kid and had seen the Great Blaze Divine Saber in action.

"Plus, this guy’s a real prodigy, taking the best from different schools and making it his own, eventually creating the Guicang Blade techniques.

"With this martial art, he’s now more famous than Bei Zhangzhi."

At this point, Su Mo didn’t have any more questions for now.

As he pondered, he flicked his finger, and Ding Wugong froze on the spot.

Su Mo then looked at the Wangxuan Mountain Lord, who was still quietly channeling his inner energy, trying to unlock his pressure points.

He couldn’t help but smile:

"Mountain Lord, still not ready to throw in the towel?"

The Wangxuan Mountain Lord was stunned. Hearing these words, he felt all his energy just leave him.

He’d been quietly working his inner energy, not wanting to draw Su Mo’s attention.

But the description of the Parting Brew had shocked him too much. How could he stay calm knowing Wusheng Hall had made such a discovery, and no one even knew?

So, even though he knew speaking up would alert Su Mo, he just had to ask.

Luckily, Su Mo’s attention stayed on Ding Wugong afterward, and he thought he’d gotten away with it.

But he hadn’t expected Su Mo to see through him.

He sighed deeply:

"Chief Escort Su, at this point, there’s no need for further words. Do what you want—kill me, cut me up, it’s all up to you."

Su Mo nodded slightly and then glanced at the shadowy figure sneaking toward Zhen Xiaoxiao’s spot:

"And what are you planning to do?"

Xiu Lan’s steps halted, and her slightly stiff expression gradually revealed a smile.

She quickly walked up to Su Mo with a light step.

With a slight bow, she began to speak:

"Your humble servant..."

As soon as she spoke these two words, she sensed a dangerous presence right in front of her.

She looked up just as Su Mo's palm was about to strike her face.

She tried to block in a panic, but her skills were no match for Su Mo's.

If she hadn't been alert, she would have died when Su Mo started killing earlier.

At this moment, Su Mo shattered her defense with just a flick of his finger, and with a casual palm strike to her forehead, she dropped dead without a sound.

She likely never imagined Su Mo would kill her after just two words.

But Su Mo frowned and said:

"She waited so quietly, I thought she had some trick planned.

"Turns out she was just trying to use the Heart Enchantment Technique as she spoke...

"Did she really think I was Old Hu?

"She’s got quite the nerve."

Yang Xiaoyun shook her head. "Calling herself 'your humble servant'..."

As she spoke, she glanced thoughtfully at Su Mo.

Su Mo cleared his throat. "Do you think Old Hu will be mad I killed her?"

"What? Were you gonna give her to Old Hu as a concubine?"

Yang Xiaoyun shot Su Mo a look. "You could arrange a concubine for him, but this Heart Demon is trouble waiting to happen."

Su Mo was speechless—he’d never even thought of that.

Besides, with his own problems, he couldn’t worry about others.

He shook his head and approached the Wangxuan Mountain Lord:

"Today, someone said I killed without warning, but honestly, there’s nothing to discuss between us.

"But you’re the Wangxuan Mountain Lord, so you’re not just anyone.

"I’ll ask you this: if I kill you today, do you object?"

The Wangxuan Mountain Lord looked up and shook his head:

"Of course I object!"

"Why’s that?"

"I brought the Wangxuan Mountain’s martial arts masters here, but I never meant to fight Chief Escort Su.

"We wanted the Star Sea Legacy Sand Iron, but only because it’s a rare treasure."

"However, from beginning to end, I never intended to harm Chief Escort Su or his subordinates. Instead, I killed a chicken and invited everyone to dinner.

"In the martial world, they say a meal can be a sign of goodwill.

"I offered you a meal, not daring to expect Chief Escort Su to repay the kindness, but for Chief Escort Su to kill me so casually, isn't that ignoring the bonds of gratitude?"

The Wangxuan Mountain Lord argued passionately, clearly not wanting to die, despite previously claiming that killing was a whim.

"Hahaha."

Su Mo burst out laughing and shook his head at these words: "You led the people of Wangxuan Mountain to slaughter villagers, seize their homes, and used their houses and poultry to host me, yet you dare to claim it as a merit? Enough! Such sophistry is a waste of breath."

With that, he stopped talking and casually struck the Wangxuan Mountain Lord's head with his palm.

Under the force of his internal energy, the Wangxuan Mountain Lord immediately bled from all seven orifices and dropped dead.

By now, in Tihu Village, everyone who deserved to die had perished, except for Ding Wugong.

However, looking at Ding Wugong, Su Mo hesitated, his face showing uncertainty.

It wasn't because Ding Wugong had been forthcoming with information, making Su Mo reluctant to kill.

But because... much of what this man said was false.

Many parts of his earlier statement couldn't withstand scrutiny.

For example, he claimed to have joined the Dark Hall halfway.

But if that were truly the case, he wouldn't have genuinely considered himself a member of Wusheng Hall."

Today, I have clearly seen the temperament and cunning of this person.

In the blink of an eye, he conceals a dozen schemes.

How could someone like him ever truly be willing to be used by others?

Even if they were using each other, how could he truly consider himself a part of Wusheng Hall?

His concern for the Great Blaze Divine Saber and his statement, "How could I know the secret techniques of Wusheng Hall?" reveal that his identity is vastly different from what he claims.

Moreover, Ren Xiongfei teaching him the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra seems reasonable, both in terms of timing and from Ren Xiongfei's perspective.

However, teaching it to him makes no sense.

Even if Ren Xiongfei truly prized his subordinates, why would he pass on the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra to an outsider?

They framed Wan Zangxin for stealing the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra, a matter that must be kept top secret. How could it be casually revealed?

When he spoke earlier, Su Mo listened quietly, without questioning him.

But in truth, he already knew that much of what this person said was full of lies.

So, he had no intention of honoring his promise to grant him a quick death.

Moreover, the more this person sought a quick end, the less Su Mo wanted to give it...

Especially since he wanted to administer the Parting Brew to Yang Xiaoyun.

For that alone, Su Mo could skin him alive for thirty days and still not be satisfied.

He hesitated on this matter, but was considering the future.

What more does this man know? And how can I extract more secrets from him?

Or perhaps... what can be done with him?

As his thoughts churned, he suddenly laughed:

"A rare find indeed, truly a rare find."

"Do you have another idea?"

Yang Xiaoyun stood by, watching Su Mo's smile, knowing someone was about to be in trouble.

Su Mo didn’t speak, just stepped in front of Ding Wugong, and unleashed the Great Open Yang Scattering Palm, first shattering his collarbone, then his limbs.

Next, he obliterated his meridians with the Triple Yang Heartburn Palm.

Poor Ding Wugong, immobilized by Su Mo's Qiankun Acupoint Technique, could only endure Su Mo's actions, unable to move or even scream.

The unbearable pain, with no release, finally manifested as two streams of tears trickling from his eyes.

Su Mo, both amused and pitying, patted his shoulder gently and said:

"Why cry, Master? Don’t be afraid; this is just the beginning. Your suffering has only just started."

"!!!"

Ding Wugong's eyes widened in shock. He truly didn't expect that the Eastern Wasteland's Number One would really go back on his word.