Chapter 389: Found a Good Place

Chapter 389: Found a Good Place

On the large ship of Purple Sun Escort Agency.

The young lady from Shattered Star Sect did not lie down for long before she sat up, her face somewhat pale, whether due to the time spent in the water or some other reason.

She leaned against the ship's railing, watching Su Mo and his companions.

Her eyes clearly flashed with many thoughts, but she did not rush to speak.

Su Mo’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before he said to Wei Ziyi:

"Great Alliance Leader Wei, would you please fetch a piece of clothing for this young lady to wear?"

Wei Ziyi nodded and turned to leave.

Upon hearing this, the young lady looked down at her drenched body.

The attire of Shattered Star Sect was primarily light blue, but after being soaked in seawater, it had become somewhat translucent.

Her pink undergarments were faintly visible, which was indeed rather indecent. She instinctively covered herself, feeling somewhat embarrassed, and said:

"My apologies."

"No need to worry."

Su Mo smiled. "It has been two days since we last met. Your reappearance is quite unexpected."

"..."

The girl was taken aback for a moment and gave an awkward smile:

"This... it's a long story."

"It's fine."

Su Mo said calmly: "Since we have plenty of time now, if you're willing, you can take your time to explain."

The girl nodded:

"My name is Zhou Wenjing from the Shattered Star Sect. Nice to meet you all."

"So, you're Miss Zhou."

Yang Xiaoyun smiled slightly:

"What exactly happened here?"

"Ah... I'm sure you all know that Gupiao Island actually falls under the jurisdiction of our Shattered Star Sect.

"Two days ago, Ling Yuan died on Gupiao Island, and we happened to be there at the time.

"We couldn't just ignore it, so under the guidance of my senior uncle, the three of us began an investigation.

"But we never expected that on the night of two days ago, my senior brother and I suddenly encountered that sickly young master."

As she spoke, Wei Ziyi also came out of the storage room, holding a cloak in her hand.

Wei Ziyi didn't approach herself; she couldn't use her martial skills now. Although this girl was from the Shattered Star Sect, human nature was unpredictable. If she were to rush forward rashly, the girl might attack, and she wouldn't be able to defend herself.

So she gave the clothes to Dong Qing.

Dong Qing covered the girl with the cloak, and only then did Zhou Wenjing finally relax completely:

"Thank you."

"No need for thanks."

Dong Qing kept a cold expression as she retreated to Little Situ's side.

Meanwhile, Su Mo studied Zhou Wenjing thoughtfully:

"Sick Prince?"

"Indeed."

Zhou Wenjing nodded:

"At that time, my senior brother and I separated from our martial uncle to investigate separately.

"Following the clues, we believed we were making progress, but we never expected the discovery would be so major.

"We not only found leads but also found the man himself.

"Though my senior brother and I had some martial arts skill, Sick Prince had wandered the martial world for years, wielding the Five Transformations Demonic Art. We couldn't hope to match him.

"In the end, we were both captured by him.

"We only survived because he was suffering from a strange poison."

As she spoke, her face showed complete shock.

Even two full days later, the thought of it still seemed unbelievable to her.

Sick Prince cultivated the Five Transformations Demonic Art.

Others also called it the Five Transformations Poison Art.

It incorporated poison into martial arts, following an unorthodox approach.

He was a master of poison himself, and few in the Southern Seas could rival him in this regard.

Who under heaven could possibly poison him?

Even though Zhou Wenjing was extremely knowledgeable about the jianghu, far more so than her senior brother, she still found the matter completely unbelievable.

It was almost beyond imagination.

Su Mo and the others exchanged glances, knowing full well that the one who had poisoned Sick Prince was none other than the old man living opposite Xiao Ning's family—Aunt Wang's third uncle, the same one who had killed Qi Yang on Chiyan Island and caused a group of martial artists' deaths, all while being obsessed with chicken legs.

Sick Prince referred to him as the Poison Lord.

Over the past few days, Su Mo had returned to the ship to investigate this man's identity.

The ship carried a group of "living encyclopedias," and the search quickly uncovered details about him.

The Poison Lord had dominated the jianghu decades earlier.

He made his name with poison, both saving and taking lives. From the moment he entered the jianghu, he was a figure who straddled the line between righteousness and villainy.

Some say he was humorous, unfiltered and genuine, unconstrained by convention.

Others claim he was cold-blooded, born to kill, spending his days in the company of poisonous critters and wild beasts.

But hardly anyone's actually met him; most have only heard rumors.

However, one thing is certain—his poison skills were second to none in the world.

At first, the title "Poison Lord" was merely a jest.

But as it gradually spread, several renowned poison masters, unwilling to accept it, sought to "test their skills" with him—only to never come back.

Thus, the title "Poison Lord" slowly gained recognition.

Bearing this name, he cut through the jianghu for over a decade, always coming out without a scratch—proof that he was no small-time player.

But what truly shocked the jianghu and cemented his reputation as the Poison Lord was a major incident over a decade ago.

For reasons unknown, the Southern Sea Alliance suddenly went all out, joining forces with the Dragon King Hall and Guixu Island—three heavyweight factions—to hunt him down.

Nearly the entire Southern Sea joined the hunt.

In the end, they cornered him on a barren black island.

There, both sides pulled out all the stops, displaying extraordinary prowess.

The Poison Lord employed his deadliest tricks, poisoning the entire island to the point where nothing grows to this day.

Scores, maybe hundreds, of martial arts masters from the three factions perished. One of the Dragon King Hall's Four Sea Dragon Heads fell, and the Hall Master was out of commission for three years.

Two senior elders of the Southern Sea Alliance were hit with some weird toxin and succumbed after the battle. Only Guixu Island got off lightest, though countless ordinary disciples were lost.

Yet, in the end, they still came out on top.

The final outcome of this battle was the "death" of the Poison Lord at the hands of the three great powers.

However, it is now clear that this news was mistaken.

What is certain is that for over a decade afterward, the Poison Lord never reappeared in the jianghu.

Though he was declared "dead" after this battle, his name truly shook the realm.

Thus, when Su Mo asked Yin Xiaoyu about the "Poison Lord," the girl was utterly baffled, unable to fathom why this old fiend, vanished for over a decade, had suddenly drawn the attention of Old Su.

Yet, after hearing of his deeds, Su Mo began to doubt whether this elderly man was truly the Poison Lord.

How could a Poison Lord capable of poisoning so many martial arts masters engage in an evenly matched fight with the Sick Prince?

And only emerge slightly superior in the end?

Unaware of Su Mo's thoughts, Zhou Wenjing continued:

"We were captured by the Sick Prince, who was afflicted with a strange poison and needed medicine for treatment.

"At the same time, he seemed to be evading the master who had poisoned him.

"So, he made my shixiong do his dirty work.

"To ensure compliance, he poisoned me and hauled me from hideout to hideout, threatening my shixiong that if he didn’t help find the medicine, he would... ahem, kill me first."

Her face clouded over as she spoke:

"Senior Brother is naturally impulsive and a bit slow. With me as a hostage, he had no choice but to obey orders.

"That Sick Prince ordered him not to report this matter to the sect, and he agreed.

"Within two days, he had indeed scrounged up a bunch of herbs and delivered them to the Sick Prince.

"However, these herbs were clearly insufficient to cure the poison in the Sick Prince.

"From my observation, not only wasn't the poison in his body getting better, but it was getting worse.

"Today's a fog day. They came to this Gupiao Island after something else. Although the poison in his body remained uncured, he didn't want to pass this up.

"Thus, he took me out to sea. But shortly after setting off, the poison in his body hit him hard, making him go berserk.

"I had intended to take my shot and slay the bastard.

"Yet, to my surprise, even poisoned and out of his mind, I was still no match for him.

"I felt that his moves got even deadlier than before the poison took effect.

"I had no choice but to take the chance to escape.

"But in the open ocean, all around was just fog and waves in every direction.

"Just drifting along, I unexpectedly came across a large ship. That was when I used the Gecko Climb technique to climb aboard...

"Only now do I realize this is actually your vessel."

By this point, her account was mostly complete.

Yet, after finishing, she looked at Su Mo and the others and sighed:

"That day, you all said you were here visiting family and getting experience. Now, it seems that wasn't the whole story.

"You're probably after the Dragonwood Island recorded in the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture, right?

"Otherwise, why would you set sail in such heavy fog?"

There was no hiding the truth. The girl had likely already guessed the answer upon seeing the ship.

Su Mo smiled faintly and said:

"You're sharp, Miss. However, we truly are here to visit relatives and gain experience."

Zhou Wenjing sighed again:

"Forgive my bluntness, but Dragonwood Island may not be a good destination.

"Today, there'll be plenty more heading out.

"Among them are plenty of heavy hitters—figures like the Sick Prince, and even those capable of poisoning someone like him.

"And these are just the ones we know of. Who knows who else might be hiding in the shadows?

"I hail from the Shattered Star Sect. The matter of Gupiao Island had long been reported to our sect.

"Someone also discovered a discarded copy of the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture on Gupiao Island. The sect pieced together its clues and dispatched people to investigate during the last foggy day."

"Unfortunately, they too never returned."

"My master was one of them, which is why my senior brother and I are traveling with our martial uncle on this journey."

"We wish to investigate our master's whereabouts."

"Whether you seek training or visiting relatives, our Shattered Star Sect really has no business asking."

"However, if you intend to go to Dragonwood Island... you should think twice about that."

As she spoke, she forced herself up and said:

"Could I ask, Su Mo, if you have a small boat I could use?"

"I took advantage of when the Sick Prince was overcome by his poison to escape."

"But I don't know what kind of poison he inflicted on me. If he tracks me through it, I'm afraid I might get you all hurt as well."

"I barely got away with my life, I truly dare not involve you further."

Yang Xiaoyun glanced at the dense fog around them and shook her head:

"Miss Zhou, no offense, but if you leave this ship now, in your state and with the unknown poison in your body—"

"You'll probably die out there."

"Life and death are fated, wealth and honor lie with heaven."

Zhou Wenjing smiled: "If heaven wills my end, staying here would still lead to death."

Hearing this, Su Mo saw the girl in a new light.

After a brief pause, he chuckled:

"I’m actually quite curious about this Sick Prince. If he truly can track you here—"

"I'd really like to invite him aboard as a guest."

"..."

Zhou Wenjing was taken aback and quickly said with a serious tone:

"Su Mo, you can't!"

"The Sick Prince has been notorious in Jianghu for years. His Five Transformations Demonic Art is nothing to sneeze at."

"If you encounter him, your best bet is to run. Don't even talk to him."

"And never get too close... These masters of poison can slip you poison without you noticing, through breath or wind."

"You won't know until it’s already too late."

Su Mo smiled and was about to speak when a voice cut in quietly:

"Really? Is it my turn again today?"

"You and I switch off every day. Naturally, it’s your turn today."

"Hurry up, or else Tiger will surely slap you silly."

"Sigh..."

Someone let out a long sigh, opening the cabin door a crack.

Holding two large buckets of filth, he cautiously stepped onto the deck and trudged along the narrow walkway toward the stern.

Through the thick fog, Zhou Wenjing felt she vaguely glimpsed Xiao Daoren—but then dismissed the idea.

Who was Xiao Daoren?

One of Yin Xiaoyu’s top fighters, the notorious "Four Seas Witch" who ruled the South Sea.

Rumor had it that on a shadowed island, Ling Yuanke had encountered Yin Xiaoyu and her entourage, intending to kill her for the bounty.

Yet before Yin Xiaoyu could even react, Xiao Daoren had wiped the floor with him in just three moves—without even taking his life.

What was a fighter like him doing on this no-name ship?

With a sigh, she heard Su Mo speak:

"Miss Zhou, what you said earlier makes sense.

"This Dragonwood Island is likely no safe haven, but we have business we can’t avoid there nonetheless.

"If you also need to go, why not hitch a ride with us for now? We can travel together.

"As for the Sick Prince... forget about him.

"Instead, why not let the physician on my ship check how bad that poison is?"

"This..."

Zhou Wenjing frowned, ready to argue, when footsteps echoed from the stern.

Turning to look, she saw a man in Daoist robes carrying two large wooden buckets on his way back.

This time, she got a clear look—her eyes nearly popped out.

"Is that really Xiao Daoren?"

Xiao Daoren stiffened at the sound of his name, blinking at Zhou Wenjing, baffled.

Then, spotting Su Mo standing nearby, he flustered:

"Su... Su... Chief Escort Su! Sorry, boss—this fog’s so thick I didn’t spot you! My mistake, my mistake!"

Setting down the buckets hastily, he bowed to Su Mo.

Su Mo waved a hand. "Don’t sweat it. You’ve earned your keep."

"Just doing my job!"

Upon hearing this, the Laughing Daoist actually felt flattered.

With an ingratiating smile, he said cautiously:

"It is my honor to serve Tiger Lord."

"Hmm, go on."

Su Mo nodded slightly, and the Laughing Daoist hurriedly picked up the two large wooden buckets and returned to the cabin.

Zhou Wenjing, however, was stunned.

When she had blurted out the name "Laughing Daoist" earlier, he had immediately looked up, confirming his identity.

But... what was that exchange about?

And who was this "Tiger Lord"?

Su Mo and his companions were unremarkable figures—how could they earn such deference from a martial arts master like him?

Subconsciously, she turned to Su Mo:

"Brother Su... who was that man?"

"Didn’t you recognize him?"

Su Mo replied with a smile. "That was the Laughing Daoist."

"...I know he’s the Laughing Daoist, but why is he here?"

"He’s here as our guest."

Su Mo’s smile remained harmless and warm, like a spring breeze.

"..."

A guest?

When those two large wooden buckets were carried out earlier, she could smell the foul stench even from where she stood.

Is this how you treat guests on this ship?

Unable to hold back, she asked, "Brother Su... surely you know that this man is a martial arts master under Yin Xiaoyu, the 'Four Seas Witch'?"

"The Four Seas Witch’s martial arts are unmatched, and she’s notoriously bloodthirsty—no lightweight. If she learns you’ve ‘invited’ her underling aboard..."

"No need to worry, Miss."

Yang Xiaoyun added with a smile:

"Miss Yin is currently a guest aboard our ship as well."

"..."

Zhou Wenjing gaped. She had a thousand questions she wanted to ask, but in the end, none came out.

The Four Seas Witch, Yin Xiaoyu, was aboard this ship?

What kind of guest is she?

Like the way this Sick Prince acts as a guest?

Though she had a gut feeling Yang Xiaoyun was lying to her, she couldn’t think of any reason why Yang Xiaoyun would deceive her.

Unable to resist, she asked in a low voice:

"Brother Su... mind if I ask, who exactly are you all?"

Su Mo gave a relaxed smile:

"I am Su Mo, this is my wife Yang Xiaoyun, and these are my friends.

"We come from the Eastern Wastes, and our family runs an escort agency.

"We just arrived in the Southern Sea; our purpose is to visit relatives and gain experience.

"Hope we haven't embarrassed ourselves."

"...The Eastern Wastes!?"

Zhou Wenjing gaped. "You all actually came from the Eastern Wastes?"

"Indeed."

Su Mo smiled.

Zhou Wenjing's mind wandered briefly:

"Truth be told, I’ve wanted to travel the world for many years.

"Unfortunately, my martial arts weren't strong enough yet, so I didn't dare leave my sect unprepared.

"Who knew I'd meet the real thing face-to-face...

"Speaking of which, I have two friends who went to the Eastern Wastes a year ago to see the martial world.

"Given their skills, making their mark in the Eastern Wastes shouldn’t be too difficult.

"If you all came from the Eastern Wastes, I wonder if you’ve heard of them?"

"Oh?"

Su Mo blinked in surprise. "What are their names?"

Just as Zhou Wenjing was about to speak, she saw Su Mo suddenly hold up a hand:

"It seems this Sick Prince truly put some kind of tracker on you.

"He actually managed to track us."

"What?"

Zhou Wenjing jumped.

Her eyes darted around, but with everything shrouded in thick fog, what could she possibly see?

After waiting a bit longer and still seeing no movement, she finally gave Su Mo a puzzled look.

Only to find that everyone had already gathered behind Su Mo, quietly waiting.

Several moments later, Zhou Wenjing barely made out what seemed like the sound of rippling water.

At first, the sound was slow, but soon it grew intense.

It was clear whoever was coming was moving incredibly fast.

Zhou Wenjing was stunned.

Her shock wasn't due to the speed of the newcomer, but rather that Su Mo had picked up on the movement so quickly.

Was this some incredible inner power, or some other method of perception?

If it were the latter, that would be understandable—but if it were the former... it was almost unimaginable!

As this thought crossed her mind, a whooshing sound reached her ears.

Looking up, she saw a sickly-looking man touch down lightly on the deck.

He scanned the surroundings before he shook his head slightly and remarked:

"You really picked a great spot for me."