Chapter 439: Heavenly Secrets Pavilion

Chapter 439: House of Heavenly Secrets

A glance around the dock showed many people heading toward the city.

Of course, some were occupied with tasks and couldn’t join the crowd.

They could only watch enviously as others left.

Su Mo grew puzzled and glanced at Duan Renjie.

Duan Renjie also looked back at Su Mo in shared confusion.

In the midst of their shared confusion, Su Mo sighed:

"Find out what’s happening."

"Ah!"

Duan Renjie suddenly understood—so that was what Su Mo’s look meant!

He immediately moved to catch up with someone ahead to inquire, but Cheng Suying stopped him and led him to a middle-aged man working on the dock. She spoke softly:

"Excuse me, may we trouble you for a moment?"

"Ah, greetings, heroines!"

Seeing the young martial artists before him, the middle-aged man didn’t dare delay.

He quickly put down his tools and replied deferentially.

Su Mo glanced at them and shook his head helplessly before continuing toward the city with Yang Xiaoyun and the others.

Duan Renjie and Cheng Suying were still new to the escort agency and clearly hadn’t yet developed a tacit understanding.

Especially the former—though Su Mo had detained him for a year, tempering his impulsiveness, he still had room to grow.

Now that he thought about it, the Canglan Divine Blade entrusting these siblings to him was indeed a profound responsibility.

Before long, as they moved further into the city, more martial artists appeared.

Just as Su Mo was wondering, the siblings returned.

Duan Renjie was grinning: "Chief, we found out!"

"Go on," Su Mo smiled.

"Today in the city, the Young Miss of the Shangguan family is holding a marriage tournament!"

Duan Renjie said succinctly.

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun shared a look:

"A marriage tournament?"

Marriage-by-combat tournaments are actually not uncommon.

They are commonplace in martial arts circles.

Of course, many wealthy merchants have unmarried daughters but don't want them marrying commoners.

Banking on their vast fortunes and their daughters' beauty, they seek to attract a handsome and exceptionally skilled young martial hero into their household as a son-in-law.

However, due to its unpredictability, it often boils down to pure chance.

With good fortune, one might find a dashing, formidable young warrior.

With bad luck, one might end up with shameless frauds or even women posing as men.

The possibilities are endless.

But for Twin Heroes City, given that it's the heiress of the Shangguan Family, why would they ever stoop to a marriage-by-combat tournament?

The two great families of Twin Heroes City, the Shangguan Family and the Ximen Family, rule this island, dividing power equally between them.

Whether in terms of martial prestige or social standing, their children's marriages should have far better options.

This marriage-by-combat tournament seems rather peculiar.

Sure enough, Cheng Suying chimed in:

"The young miss of the Shangguan Family is named Shangguan Jingjing.

"She is now twenty years old and should have been married long ago, but she is far too choosy.

"She wouldn't give the time of day to ordinary talented young men.

"Naturally gifted and competitive since childhood, she declared that unless someone could outmatch her in combat, they would never lay a finger on her.

"This has been a constant headache for the head of the Shangguan Family.

"Shangguan Hongtu, the family head, has doted on his precious daughter since she was young.

"Now that she's of marriageable age, she remains stubbornly single.

"It's not that there aren't people among their acquaintances who can defeat Shangguan Jingjing.

"But those who can defeat her are either unsuitable in age—some even old enough to be Shangguan Hongtu's peers—or simply not to her liking.

"As a result, the matter has been delayed repeatedly.

"Finally, Shangguan Hongtu finally snapped and directly asked his daughter what she truly wanted.

"Shangguan Jingjing then came up with the idea of a martial contest for marriage.

"They sent out invitations throughout the martial world, drawing talented young fighters from the South Sea to assemble here.

"She set three requirements.

"First, the candidate must never have been married before.

"Second, the candidate must be under twenty-five years old."

"Third, must not be a monk or ascetic."

"Anyone who meets all three can step up and show what they’ve got."

"The top fighter gets to face Shangguan Jingjing in the final round."

"Win by even a hair, and the marriage’s a done deal."

Su Mo didn’t know whether to laugh or facepalm, feeling that the Shangguan young miss was just fooling around.

And Shangguan Hongtu actually indulged her... what a pushover dad.

He was about to shake his head and ignore the matter, as this martial contest had nothing to do with him.

Had zilch to do with their crew.

But when he glanced up, he caught sight of Duan Renjie grinning like a kid in a candy store.

A thought hit him out of the blue, and he asked softly:

"Renjie, how old’re you again?"

"Ah?"

Duan Renjie hurriedly replied, "Twenty-one, sir."

Cheng Suying also gave him a smiling glance: "Wanna take a shot at it?"

"!?"

Duan Renjie flushed red and waved his hands hastily:

"M-me? No way!

"But heck yeah, I wanna see this show!

"After all, I’ve heard of such things but never witnessed one, especially from the Shangguan family, who’s kind of a big deal. Such a grand event naturally gets the gossip mill turning."

"Is that so?"

Su Mo nodded thoughtfully:

"In that case, go ahead and get your kicks.

"I still have some matters to attend to on the island, which may take a while.

"Once you’ve had enough thrills, you can wait for us on the ship."

Duan Renjie was overjoyed:

"Thanks, boss!"

Cheng Suying, however, hesitated: "Perhaps it’s better if Renjie goes alone to watch. I’ll stay by your side, boss, if you need a hand."

Su Mo pondered for a moment, a little on the fence.

Duan Renjie was a loose cannon, and without Cheng Suying to keep an eye on him, he might easily start some drama.

But then again, how much trouble can he get into just spectating a martial contest?

At worst, he'd just step onto the *leitai*—either defeat someone or get defeated.

That’s all there is to it. Could he really abduct the young miss of the Shangguan family?

If he actually managed that, it’d prove his martial prowess.

So he nodded right away, agreeing with Cheng Suying’s suggestion.

Duan Renjie, however, hemmed and hawed, too embarrassed to go, saying it was improper to go spectate on his first assignment with Su Mo.

Su Mo chuckled dismissively:

"This is just a brief layover—no urgent business.

"Feel free to explore the island as you please…

"So go ahead.

"Just don’t get lost."

At that, Duan Renjie stopped refusing. He clasped his fists in salute, bowed, and then followed the crowd.

Watching his retreating figure, Su Mo couldn’t help but smile, suddenly feeling a pang of longing for Xu Lu.

He wasn’t young anymore—it might be time he married.

Next time he wrote to the Eastern Wastes, he’d nudge Uncle Fu to arrange matters and seek suitable candidates.

See if there were any suitable young ladies from prominent families or martial sect disciples.

Of course, he’d also have to check if Xu Lu already had someone in mind.

Now that he was a mentor himself, he understood that in the martial world, a master was both teacher and father figure—it was only natural to consider his disciple’s lifelong matters.

After this moment of reflection, he took Zhen Xiaoxiao and the rest to a tavern first.

Zhen Xiaoxiao had been stifled for a while.

Food on the ship had been running low, and not only had they failed to restock on Dragonwood Island, but they’d also consumed a lot.

As a result, Su Mo and the others had been cutting back on rations lately.

Hadn’t they seen Zhen Xiaoxiao even devouring the revolting shark meat with gusto?

Now that they were on the island, it was the perfect chance to let her feast at the tavern and let loose.

Once preparations at the tavern were mostly done, Su Mo took Yang Xiaoyun and Cheng Suying ahead, leaving Wei Ziyi to hold the fort.

Though her martial arts were currently unusable, her *jianghu* savvy remained.

Plus, with Zhen Xiaoxiao’s immense strength, no trouble could touch them.

After leaving the tavern, Su Mo and the other two purposefully wound through narrow alleyways.

Most of these places were residential, but there were also a few shops.

However, the shops bore no signage—mostly selling staples like oil, rice, flour, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and tea.

Su Mo had no particular destination in mind at first, but later, spotting something at a corner, he wandered deeper into the alley.

Arriving at the alley entrance, they saw several burly men dressed in tattered clothes with rough, wild faces, baring their teeth and mocking passersby at the entrance.

They cursed crudely, rubbed dirt off their bodies, and spat freely, giving off a ‘stay away’ vibe.

Su Mo's gaze settled on them, his eyebrow quirking before he continued forward.

The men also noticed Su Mo, their eyes flicking to Yang Xiaoyun and Cheng Suying before finally fixing their eyes on Su Mo, grinning:

"Who’s this rich boy? Lost your way?

"Coming here—you asking for trouble?"

Su Mo sighed softly and smiled faintly:

"Looking for someone."

The men went still at his words. A burly man with a scar on his face raised his brow slightly:

"Who?"

"A brother from the gang."

Su Mo spoke softly.

The scarred man narrowed his eyes slightly before shaking his head:

"You’ve got the wrong place, pretty boy. There’s no gang here, nor the person you’re looking for.

"Beat it."

Su Mo shook his head: "If not, then please move out of the way."

"Huh?"

The scarred man immediately sprang up, drawing a short blade from his waist:

"While I’m still being civil, go back where you came from.

"Consider it a chance to leave unharmed.

"Otherwise, this knife won’t hold back."

Before his words faded, steel flashed—a sheathed saber was already a hair’s breadth from his nose.

The scarred man froze, staring at the suspended blade. Enraged, he shouted:

"Rush him!"

The thugs rushed forward at once. Cheng Suying sidestepped lazily, glancing back at Su Mo.

"We’re visitors here—don’t murder the locals."

After Su Mo’s calm remark, Cheng Suying understood what to do.

With a twist of her saber—still sheathed—she swung it casually. One thug, before realizing what had happened, caught the flat of the blade across his cheek.

His head snapped sideways, spitting out two teeth.

Another thug lunged forward, but Cheng Suying, ready for him, threw a blind kick behind her—her foot caught him mid-lunge before a whipkick slammed him into his buddies.

The group was sent tumbling like bowling pins.

Seeing this, the scar-faced man roared in anger, swinging his dagger with practiced skill.

Yet, without Cheng Suying even seeming to try, she merely tapped the hilt lightly, sending his dagger clattering away.

The next moment, she seized his neck, lifting and slamming him against the wall.

"M-miss, spare me..."

In this brief skirmish, Cheng Suying hadn’t even unsheathed her blade, yet she had completely overwhelmed them. Begging was their only option.

Ignoring his plea, Cheng Suying heard Su Mo speak softly:

"Hey, buddy, is the boss in?"

"...N-no, he’s not."

The scar-faced man still held firm, teeth clenched.

Su Mo pondered for a moment; something felt off.

After a pause, he suddenly realized and took out a small cloth pouch from his robe.

Ripping it open, a metallic clatter rang out as various tokens spilled out. Among them, Su Mo picked out a thin, lightweight iron plate.

The only thing special about it was the inscription "Tianji" (Heaven’s Secret).

Su Mo raised the iron plate, showing it to the scar-faced man. "How’s this?"

At the sight of it, the man looked ready to cry:

"You had a pass? Why the hell didn’t you lead with that?"

"My bad, my bad. First-timer here."

Su Mo chuckled. "Suying, drop him."

Only then did Cheng Suying release her grip. Dropped to the ground, the scar-faced man coughed and wheezed violently before glancing at his fallen comrades with a sigh.

"Alright, get up and go back.

"We got a customer... I’ll take him to see the boss."

The downed men scrambled up. Cheng Suying had held back, so their injuries weren’t severe. They limped off, leaning on each other.

The scar-faced man then turned to Su Mo:

"Give me the pass."

Su Mo casually flipped it to him.

After scrutinizing it, the man nodded.

"This way.

"Since you’ve got the pass, you should’ve shown it quietly from the start."

"Our trade is getting tougher by the day. Plenty in the martial world have strong taboos against it."

"Without the 'knocking brick,' even if someone tracks the hidden marks to us,"

"we can’t just open up for business."

"Maybe even the one who clued me in didn’t know this rule."

Su Mo was at a loss for words.

The one who’d filled him in was none other than Ye Youchen.

Even with the Tianji Pavilion’s token, tracking down its people wasn’t easy.

Ye Youchen, nicknamed the Wandering Dust Smiling Guest, had prowled the Southern Seas for years.

From the big three factions to the underworld’s dregs, he knew his way around.

So of course, he knew the Tianji Pavilion.

He told Su Mo that even though he’d never gone looking for them, he knew how to track them down.

The hidden mark Su Mo spotted earlier was the Tianji Pavilion’s calling card.

Follow the mark, and you’d find the local Tianji Pavilion dealer.

The guys at the door were just for show.

First, to keep out randos, and second, as a safety net.

The phrase 'the old-timer inside the door' was code for 'pavilion'—inside the character for 'pavilion' is 'ge,' sounding like 'brother.'

Say 'the old-timer inside the door,' and the guards knew you were there for Tianji Pavilion business.

But without the 'knocking brick,' they weren’t about to let just anyone in.

Wei Ziyi had filled Su Mo in on this once.

Back in the day, the Tianji Pavilion had sold one too many secrets, making the whole martial world hate their guts. Then someone—no one knew who—torched their headquarters in a fit of rage.

The old pavilion master bawled his eyes out, stewed over their mistakes, and decided to take the Tianji Pavilion underground.

Their trade made them way too many enemies.

Nobody wants their dirty laundry sold off, after all.

So even now, the Tianji Pavilion’s still around, but it’s gone deeper underground, teetering between bold moves and playing it safe.

Play it too safe, and they starve.

Too reckless, and they’re dead meat.

All in all, they’ve got it rough.

Led by the scar-faced man, they walked down the alley until they reached a small shop at the end.

Inside, an assortment of random items lay scattered about.

Behind the counter, some kid was sprawled over the desk, out cold.

The man with the scar on his face tapped the table, and only then did the young man snap out of his daze, lifting his head to glance at the scar-faced man:

"Back so soon?"

"A guest has arrived; hurry up and open the door."

The scar-faced man said hurriedly.

The young man scanned Su Mo and his companions: "Which gang are you from?"

"All roads lead to Rome, we eat from all directions."

Su Mo replied casually.

Hearing this, the young man seemed to ponder for a moment but didn't ask any more questions. He merely moved his legs, and a door in the bookshelf beside him opened.

The room inside was brightly lit.

The young man then said:

"Go in."

"Thank you."

Su Mo nodded, without hesitation, leading Cheng Suying and Yang Xiaoyun into the secret room.

Once the bookshelf behind them closed, he looked around the surroundings.

A simple corridor, not long, they quickly reached the end.

What lay before them was a quite spacious stone chamber.

Rows of bookshelves stood within, and in the center was a table.

Seated before it was a middle-aged man, one hand pinching his goatee while the other was writing feverishly.

He showed no reaction to the arrival of Su Mo and the others.

The three approached and glanced over, seeing the man writing on paper:

"Su Mo, hailing from Donghuang, sails the Southern Seas aboard the large ship of Ziyang Escort Bureau."

"In Tianqu City, he executed Sect Leader Youquan with one palm strike!"

"Beneath Liuyin City, he vanquished Night Demon Lord with his fists!"

"From his first appearance, he remains undefeated."

"Truly the First of Donghuang among martial arts masters!"

"His Ziyang Escort Bureau has united various escort bureaus across Donghuang, forming the Eastern Wilderness Escort Alliance, sweeping through the region and emerging as a potential dominant power in Donghuang."

"His journey in the South Sea has already seen him defeat Sea Witch Yin Xiaoyu."

"Moreover, on Longmu Island, he achieved the legendary deed of slaying the Lord of Longmu Island with his sword."

"Even more astonishing, Longmu Island is suspected to have been split asunder by his sword qi, leading to its sinking!"

"The purpose of this voyage remains unknown..."

His writing paused briefly before he lifted his head to look at Su Mo, offering a faint smile:

"Might I inquire, Escort Chief Su, what exactly is the purpose of this voyage?"

Su Mo responded with a chuckle:

"That knowledge is exceptionally valuable."