Chapter 297: The Iron Token of Shared Hearts

Chapter 297: The Iron Token of Shared Hearts

The night was serene.

Surprisingly serene.

The area around the drum in the Drum Tower was eerily quiet.

After Su Mo finished speaking, the silence became even more unsettling.

The girl's smile had vanished without a trace.

She gazed at Su Mo silently, her calm eyes now brimmed with killing intent.

She was none other than Wan Yilan.

Tonight, she had summoned Su Mo to the Drum Tower, intent on avenging Wan Zangxin.

But she had not made her move.

If she had been confident in killing Su Mo in a direct confrontation, she would not have hesitated.

Nor would there have been tonight's desperate act of offering herself intimately.

But facing the Top Figure of the Eastern Wasteland, even if she were the young princess of Wusheng Hall, she dared not claim she could kill Su Mo in a direct confrontation.

Therefore, she had devised this plan.

Wielding a woman's deadliest weapon, she planned to strike when a man was most vulnerable.

But she had not expected that Su Mo, from just a few words, had already seen through her identity.

This man's terror extended far beyond his martial prowess.

"Chief Escort Su, truly, your reputation precedes you."

She sighed softly, and in a flash of silver, a dagger materialized in her hand.

The cold blade gleamed in her grasp.

Su Mo's gaze shifted from the dagger to Wan Yilan.

He watched as Wan Yilan's fingers slackened, and the dagger clattered to the ground.

"What?"

Su Mo raised his eyebrows slightly. "So, you're not going to kill me?"

Wan Yilan did not speak, only reaching to unfasten the buttons of her garments.

Su Mo, startled, couldn't allow her to act so rashly.

He urgently commanded, "Stop!"

"Why would you stop me?"

Wan Yilan's question of "Why?" left Su Mo stumped.

After a moment of silence, he could only say:

"I’m about to start a family..."

"So what?"

Wan Yilan gently shook her head: "Although I don’t know much about men, I do know that a wife isn’t as good as a concubine, and a concubine isn’t as good as a secret affair."

"You killed Wan Zangxin, and now you can just take his woman into your arms, to have your way with her."

"Are you unwilling, or just afraid, to accept?"

"Your taunts won’t work on me."

Su Mo shook his head: "Moreover, Miss Wan’s actions are just a ploy to kill me."

"True, I do want to kill you."

She looked up at Su Mo:

"But I’ve thrown away the dagger, and if I strip, I’ll have no way to kill you."

"You’re the First of Donghuang, a martial arts master. Surely you wouldn’t fear a helpless woman like me?"

Su Mo sighed, his expression somewhat peculiar:

"Why go to such lengths? To avenge Wan Zangxin, would you really risk it all?"

"I have nothing left."

In Wan Yilan’s eyes, the previous spark was gone.

It was all just an act, and now all that remained was emptiness...

Su Mo, however, smiled:

"Miss Wan, you’re wrong. As the little princess of Wusheng Hall, you were born with everything others could only dream of."

"How can you say you have nothing?"

"Even if you had nothing, why would Su Mo accept a woman who offers herself just to kill him?"

"Why wouldn’t you accept?"

"Is it because... I’m not beautiful enough?"

Wan Yilan looked up at Su Mo with some indignation.

"You’re pretty enough."

Su Mo studied her for a moment before giving his assessment.

"..."

Wan Yilan was so stunned that she nearly lost her composure.

She glared at Su Mo resentfully.

"Is it because my figure is not slender enough?"

"It’s acceptable."

"..."

Can this guy even say something decent?

The killing intent in her eyes grew stronger:

"Chief Escort Su, aren’t you downplaying your silver tongue?"

Su Mo chuckled softly. Wan Yilan clearly knew what had happened in Wusheng Hall’s main hall earlier that day.

At that time, Su Mo had claimed that he was not eloquent enough to match Ding Wugong's silver tongue, which was why he had brought the matter to Wusheng Hall.

Now, mocked with the same words by Wan Yilan, he found it quite amusing.

However, he gently shook his head:

"Miss, take my advice and let go of this obsession. There’s still a long life ahead of you. Tormenting yourself day and night with hatred is really unnecessary.

"It’s only Wan Zangxin. In the future, you might even find someone better in your life.

"Why lower yourself like this over a man?"

"...In this life, I’ll never find someone like him again."

Wan Yilan murmured to herself.

"That’s quite something..."

Seeing her speak so sincerely, Su Mo couldn’t help but feel moved.

If these two were really siblings, what then?

"What was that?"

Wan Yilan suddenly froze and looked up at Su Mo.

Su Mo shook his head, though:

"Since you brought up Wan Zangxin, I’ll give you one more piece of advice.

"Even Wan Zangxin wouldn’t want you to go to such extremes to avenge him.

"There are always things in this world more important than life itself."

"These words... aren’t yours to say."

Wan Yilan was furious. How dare someone who killed Wan Zangxin speak from his perspective?

"Fair point."

Su Mo smiled: "Alright then, Miss, take care of yourself. It’s getting colder, so bundle up and don’t catch a cold... I’ll take my leave now."

With that, he fell silent and was about to leave the drum tower when a gong suddenly rang out.

In an instant, Wusheng Hall, which had settled down, suddenly came alive.

People burst out of their rooms, some shouting loudly to demand answers.

Su Mo and Wan Yilan, standing atop the drum tower, immediately turned toward the source of the gong sound.

Su Mo frowned slightly and asked Wan Yilan:

"Miss Wan, what is that place?"

Wan Yilan stared at Su Mo in disbelief.

Given their history, whether as friends or enemies, how could you even ask that?

After a pause, she answered:

"It's the Fourth Hall."

"...The Fourth Hall, Wu Yong."

Su Mo's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly clasped his fists, saying, "Miss Wan, one last thing: even if I did kill Wan Zangxin, the one who truly caused his death isn’t me..."

With that, his eyes flicked toward a dark corner, and in an instant, he was gone from the drum tower.

Wan Yilan watched him go, her face hardening with each passing second.

After a moment, she collapsed to the ground, drained of all strength.

She had always lived by the rules.

She had never strayed from the path, but tonight, her words and actions were shockingly bold.

She had even resigned herself to death.

But she never expected this.

Su Mo's words rang in her ears.

The more she dwelled on them, the more the pain tore at her.

"I thought... if I just left you, if I wasn’t near you...

If I let go of this obsession, if I stopped thinking of you, you’d still be alive...

But why... why did you have to go?

He was right—it wasn’t him who really killed you...

It was this cruel world, that Night Lord, Wusheng Hall!

But how... how can I ever avenge you!?"

She sobbed, murmuring to herself.

Spotting the dagger on the ground, she instinctively grabbed it:

"Zangxin... my Zangxin...

I’m so useless—I can’t even avenge you."

"Now that there is no hope for revenge, let me join you.

"Lately, I've felt like you're right beside me.

"Could it be... could it be that your spirit lingers nearby, waiting for me to join you?

"If so, then wait for me on the Naihe Bridge, a mythical bridge to the afterlife, for a moment..."

As she spoke these words, she turned the dagger, its tip pointing towards her chest.

Her face showed no trace of fear towards death, only a sense of relief at the impending liberation.

She took a deep breath and prepared to plunge the dagger.

But at that moment, a gust of wind arrived in the blink of an eye.

With a clang!

Something came through the wind, knocking the dagger out of her hand.

The dagger fell to the ground, spinning endlessly.

A flicker of hatred flashed in Wan Yilan's eyes:

"You... you still..."

Her words trailed off as she stared blankly at the ground.

There, lying quietly on the ground, was a delicate token.

It lay face up, with two words inscribed: "One Heart."

"...The One Heart iron token, how could it be the One Heart iron token?"

At that moment, disbelief washed over Wan Yilan's face. Trembling, she reached out and took the token in her hand.

She wanted to turn it over to see the other side.

But after a few tries, she gave up.

She couldn't summon the courage.

The One Heart iron token...

Every year, near Wusheng Hall, there was a temple fair in the nearby city.

Back then, she was still the carefree young princess of Wusheng Hall, her heart just awakening to love, her eyes and heart filled with that person.

When she heard about the upcoming temple fair, she was eager to drag him along to enjoy the festivities.

But given his lowly position and the crowded nature of the temple fair, how could he risk stepping out of line?

The entire trip was cautious and uneventful.

When she spotted someone selling these eternal One Heart iron tokens, she insisted they buy one.

But he refused repeatedly.

This made her truly furious.

A temple fair, attended with high spirits but left in disappointment.

Yet, unexpectedly, the next day, he secretly sought her out and handed her a token.

This token was one of a pair.

One inscribed with "Eternal Union," the other with "Shared Heart."

The back was left blank, requiring the buyer to engrave their names upon it.

After receiving this token of shared heart, she initially didn't want to let him off so easily, but the anger that had built up overnight inexplicably vanished.

The two of them secretly imprinted their names on it.

Exchanged them with one another.

Eternal Union, a secret vow for a lifetime.

Wan Yilan took a deep breath, flipped the iron token, and gradually moved her hand away.

On the back of the iron token, two slightly crooked characters were etched.

It read... Yilan.

"Ha...

"Ha..."

Wan Yilan uttered meaningless syllables, and tears, even more uncontrollable, rolled down like scattered beads.

Yet, she instinctively clenched her hand tightly, as if holding a treasure regained.

Suddenly, she seemed to recall something.

Hurriedly wiping away her tears, she tucked the iron token into her sleeve.

Stumbling to the edge of the drum tower terrace, she looked around but found nothing.

Feeling momentarily disappointed, she wanted to call out but quickly clamped her hand over her mouth.

Not letting out a single sound.

...

...

The Fourth Hall!

At this moment, it was already overcrowded.

Disciples of Wusheng Hall, along with several neighboring Hall Masters and Deputy Hall Masters, had all arrived.

Some were even holding torches, dashing across rooftops and corridors in search of something.

Su Mo had just arrived in front of the Fourth Hall when he was stopped by people from Wusheng Hall.

"Who are you... Chief Escort Su, forgive our rudeness!"

The initial words were harsh, but upon recognizing Su Mo, they quickly apologized.

Su Mo waved his hand and looked up, noticing that the entire Fourth Hall was now surrounded by disciples of Wusheng Hall. He couldn't help asking:

"What's going on? I was sleeping soundly when suddenly I heard the sound of gongs everywhere... it really disturbed my restful sleep."

"This..."

Several disciples of Wusheng Hall looked at each other, unable to answer, and their gaze towards Su Mo was filled with some uncertainty and suspicion.

Just as they were hesitating, a cold voice rang out:

"What happened? Doesn’t Chief Escort Su know anything about it?"

"Hmm?"

Su Mo followed the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged man escorted by a few others approaching.

"Ah, it’s Hall Master Xing..."

Su Mo gave a slight bow with cupped fists. The person before him was named Xing Lan, the Hall Master of the Seventh Hall of Wusheng Hall.

Earlier in the main hall of Wusheng Hall, Zhen Xiaoxiao had used a one-legged bronze statue to send Wu Yong flying. Among the two who had leaped up to catch Wu Yong was this Xing Lan.

But now, hearing his words, Su Mo felt a weight in his chest and said with a cupped fist:

"What are you implying, Hall Master Xing? What exactly should Su Mo know?"

"Hmph!" Xing Lan snorted coldly: "Chief Escort Su, Hall Master Wu’s actions today were indeed rash. But he didn’t deserve to die, did he?

"You… why did you come in the dead of night to commit murder!?

"How can you still ask such questions, standing here now?

"Are you trying to act like nothing happened?"

Su Mo frowned, his expression darkening:

"Hall Master Wu… is dead?"

"Are you still playing dumb?"

Xing Lan shouted angrily: "Hall Master Wu was always kind to everyone. Even if he was somewhat impulsive, no one would want to kill him! Who else but you could it be?

"Clearly, what happened in the main hall today made you hold a grudge, driving you to kill.

"Taking advantage of the night, you slipped into the Fourth Hall and killed Hall Master Wu!"

"...Hall Master Xing, choose your words carefully."

Su Mo's expression darkened slightly: "If Su Mo really wanted to kill someone, why would I bother hiding it? Even if I did it openly, could you have stopped me?"

"Such arrogance from the Eastern Wasteland’s Number One!

"Today, Xing will avenge Hall Master Wu!!"

As soon as the words fell, his figure shot out like an arrow, attacking with steps that continuously shifted, now to the left, now to the right, his palms moving at his sides.

Looking at his momentum, it seemed to be without fixed form, exhausting all paths of change.

Su Mo was initially seething with anger.

Wu Yong was pressed for time, and he had thought that Yang Yizhi and the others would surely appear tonight, but unexpectedly, they did not come.

Su Mo was then called out by the young princess of Wusheng Hall, who wanted to avenge Wan Zangxin.

After some frustrating delays, he had completely missed his chance.

Now that Wu Yong was dead, Su Mo was still being wrongfully accused by Xing Lan, and he immediately wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine.

However, when he saw the moves Xing Lan made, Su Mo's expression turned peculiar.

As his mind raced, Xing Lan's palm strike was already inches from his face.

After a brief pause, Su Mo sneered coldly:

"You're asking for death!!!"

In the next moment, a deafening dragon's roar suddenly erupted, and an ancient bell boomed resoundingly.

Su Mo raised a palm, the force from his palm carrying immense power.

Before the strike landed, a fierce gale had already erupted.

Terror instantly filled Xing Lan's eyes, and his eyes darted around in panic.

Though it seemed slow, their palms collided in an instant.

A thunderous boom!!!

With a dull thud, the moment their palms touched, Xing Lan was momentarily dazed.

But in the next instant, he was sent flying backward.

His followers rushed to catch him:

"Hall Master!"

"Are you okay?"

"I... I..."

As soon as Xing Lan opened his mouth, he began coughing repeatedly. Clenching his teeth, he grabbed a nearby arm and hauled himself up:

"You... well played, Chief Escort Su, your martial arts are truly... extraordinary!

"I... I must admit, I'm impressed!

"However, regarding Hall Master Wu's matter, you owe us an explanation.

"Was it you or not?"

Su Mo's eyes narrowed slightly, and with a flick of his sleeve, he concealed something within its folds.

Just as he was about to speak, a sharp cry rang out from the distance:

"Stop! Xing Lan, what are you doing!?"

Everyone turned to look and saw a man running towards them, shouting angrily:

"Hall Master Xing, the truth has not yet come to light. How dare you disrespect Chief Escort Su?"

The newcomer was none other than Hall Master Li Zhongming.

He had clearly heard about the incident and hurried over.

With a glance at the two, he immediately understood what had happened.

He felt a mix of anxiety and relief.

Anxious because Xing Lan had indeed taken action against Su Mo.

Relieved because Su Mo had shown mercy, and Xing Lan was still alive, suggesting there might still be room for negotiation.

"Hall Master Li, if now is not the time for the truth to emerge, then when is?"

Xing Lan pointed at Su Mo:

"Who else in Wusheng Hall, besides him, would want Hall Master Wu dead?"

"That's not necessarily the case..."

Li Zhongming blurted out these words, only to immediately regret them.

Both Xing Lan and Su Mo now fixed their gazes on him.