### Chapter 5: A Word and a Disagreement

### Chapter 5: A Word and a Disagreement

In the world of martial heroes, clad in green robes and wielding swords, they live freely and joyously!

There is the bold camaraderie of drinking from large bowls and eating hearty portions.

Even a chance encounter on the road, sharing a pot of wine and half a lifetime's stories, carries its own sense of liberation.

Logically, Su Mo should not refuse.

However... he did so very readily.

"I dare not!"

Why ask if I dare without any context?

Who knows who this person is?

What is their purpose here?

Is there something sinister in this wine?

Why drink wine for no reason?

There is a saying among bodyguards that they hold as an ironclad rule:

That is to keep three parts safe!

Three parts safe means... smiling three parts, yielding three parts, and drinking three parts of wine!

And the last part actually means not drinking at all if possible.

Drinking leads to mistakes; unless it is freezing cold and one drinks to warm up, even then, only three parts of a ten-part drink should be consumed, always remembering to be cautious with alcohol.

It is summer now, and Su Mo, young and strong, has the Dragon Elephant Prajna Power protecting him.

He doesn't even bring his own wine, so why would he drink wine offered by someone unknown?

"Hmm?"

The person across from him narrowed his eyes slightly, looking sharp: "Are you afraid the wine might be poisoned?"

"Yes."

"..."

The person fell silent, unsure how to continue.

How could someone be so straightforward?

After a moment, he awkwardly withdrew his hand: "Young man, you don't know a treasure when you see one. The fine wine in my gourd is wasted on you."

Su Mo sneered, continuing to munch on his flatbread.

The newcomer, whose background was unknown, drank loudly in front of Su Mo, taking bites of roasted chicken.

Bones were scattered all over the ground.

After drinking too much, he even started ranting, standing up and cursing at the heavens.

Cursing the heavens for injustice, the earth for inequality, and the world for its many paths, he suddenly began speaking eloquently, leaving Su Mo speechless.

"Where did this madman come from?"

This question was not asked by Su Mo.

The speaker was standing opposite Su Mo.

With arms crossed, holding a sword.

The sword was long!

Ordinary swords are more than three feet long, but this sword was seven feet!

Long and straight.

The person stood upright.

Just like his sword.

This person arrived swiftly. When Su Mo heard the commotion, the person was still miles away, yet they appeared in an instant.

Crossing his arms and holding the sword, he spoke mockingly.

But Su Mo found it hard not to agree.

The drunkard indeed looked like a madman.

However, even if he really was a madman, he wouldn't appreciate being called one to his face.

So, he abruptly stopped, turning to look at the person holding the sword.

"What did you say?"

"That you're a madman."

"You're right."

"Good to know."

"Reward as deserved!"

"What reward?"

"Reward with wine!"

With that, the wine gourd flew out, whistling through the air, carrying a force that tore through the void, heading straight for the man holding the sword.

"Hmm?"

The man's eyebrows raised slightly. He kept one hand on his sword, while the other made a gentle press.

The wine gourd stopped two feet in front of him, spinning in mid-air but unable to advance any further.

Su Mo silently held his pancake and took a step back.

Encounters on the road often led to fights, a common sight in the martial world.

Watching was fine, as long as no blood splattered.

"I don't usually drink. Here, take it back!"

The man lightly stomped his foot on the ground. As his inner energy flowed, his sleeves fluttered without wind, and the gourd spinning in mid-air suddenly shot back.

The drunkard's figure flickered, and he was already close by, catching the gourd before its force could fully impact.

Even so, the force still made him spin around once.

Unperturbed, he used the momentum to turn and swung his staff:

"Refuse the polite offer, then face the penalty!"

The staff technique was unpredictable. In an instant, the sky was filled with staff shadows.

"Excellent staff technique!"

The man with the sword's eyes lit up. Not daring to be careless, he immediately retreated.

He moved with precision, retreating only three feet.

All the staff shadows stilled just a line away, yet it felt like a vast distance.

At this moment, the staff shadow suddenly converged into a single point, aiming directly at his heart.

"Draw!"

The man with the sword shouted softly. As his inner energy surged, the long sword in his arms leaped out of its sheath.

The seven-foot-long sword spun in mid-air, its tip meeting the staff head-on.

A loud hum echoed as sword qi and inner energy clashed.

The fire Su Mo had started roared and flickered, its light intensifying.

Looking up again, the two figures were already locked in fierce combat.

The man with the sword wielded his seven-foot-long blade, his moves strange and lethal.

The drunkard's staff danced up and down, shifting left and right, his steps elusive yet methodical.

Su Mo practiced the Purple Sun Sect martial arts passed down from his family.

However, the original owner had been lazy, and although Su Mo was diligent, he regretted not having enough time to practice.

Watching these two fight, he gained much insight.

But gaining insight didn't change his decision. Without hesitation, he packed his belongings and turned to leave.

These two men were mysterious, and their fight was inexplicable.

It was best not to get involved in unknown affairs; otherwise, he might become someone else's spectacle.

He withdrew and soon disappeared, leaving the sounds and lights of the fight miles behind.

Shaking his head lightly: "I wanted to rest well tonight and continue my journey tomorrow morning. But those two lunatics ruined it. Forget it, I won't sleep. This brocade box is a hot potato; I should deliver it to Wang Xianglin as soon as possible..."

Having made his decision, he continued on his way without hesitation.

By dawn the next day, everything was peaceful, which surprised Su Mo.

He felt that the two men last night must have been connected to the brocade box.

He expected more trouble during the night, but nothing happened.

Now, seeing a town ahead, he decided to stop thinking about the previous night and focus on buying some food and supplies.

Time passed quickly, and soon Su Mo arrived at the town gates.

Above him, three large characters: Wangxiang Town.

Stepping inside, he saw a servant looking around. Upon noticing him, the servant scrutinized him for a moment before approaching with joy.

"May I ask if you are surnamed Su?"