Chapter 12: Too Clever

Chapter 12: Too Clever

Su Mo, of course, did not leave.

How could he leave when the situation was still unclear?

Who knew what storms would follow him home if he went back now?

Although in the inn, he had seen Wang Xianglin and indeed received a system prompt confirming that the mission was completed after handing over the brocade box to him, the situation had become even stranger!

The conversation between the two waiters in the inn was one strange aspect.

In recent days, apart from himself, two other people had come looking for Wang Xianglin.

One man and one woman.

Of those four people, only two were still alive—a man and a woman.

This made Su Mo consider these two groups together.

So, the reason the other two people did not plot against him was because they took this opportunity to find Wang Xianglin?

But once this guess proved true, it raised even more questions.

Who exactly was Wang Xianglin? Su Mo wasn't sure.

However, as the recipient of this escort mission, did the others know about this person's situation besides himself?

From the current information, it seemed highly likely that they did!

Otherwise, why would they bypass him and go directly to Wang Xianglin?

But then, why didn't they bypass him earlier? Why wait until two people died before doing so?

What were their reservations?

And now, judging by the results, Wang Xianglin remained unharmed after their visit.

Their visit was not secretive but rather open and direct.

What was their relationship with each other?

This left Su Mo with much to ponder.

Before going upstairs to meet Wang Xianglin and hand over the brocade box, Su Mo had considered another possibility.

Perhaps Wang Xianglin was not really Wang Xianglin.

Someone might have taken his place to deceive him and obtain the brocade box.

If this guess were true, it could explain the above questions.

However, the system prompt confirming the mission completion indicated that Wang Xianglin was indeed Wang Xianglin!

This already confusing puzzle became even more perplexing.

As someone who had been inexplicably drawn into this situation, could he willingly return home with all these questions?

How big would his heart need to be?

Therefore, after leaving Ji Mingyi, Su Mo carefully checked his surroundings and confirmed there was no one monitoring him before secretly returning to Ji Mingyi.

Wang Xianglin's situation seemed promising, and understanding the whole matter would provide a way out.

Sure enough, late at night, Wang Xianglin left his room and ran here.

His lightness of movement was extraordinary.

Su Mo relied on his inner strength to keep up; otherwise, he might not have followed him.

What Su Mo never expected was that Wang Xianglin would suddenly turn into a young woman.

...

...

Under the night sky, the two faced each other, speechless.

The confusion in Su Mo's eyes gradually turned into contemplation, and then regret.

Similarly, the woman sighed:

"I thought you were clever, but you're too clever."

A clever person knows not to get involved in a whirlpool and avoids standing under a dangerous wall.

Yet, this excessive cleverness brought Su Mo back into the fray when he should have safely left.

Su Mo was indeed clever and understood her meaning. He sighed, "Is it too late for me to leave now?"

"Probably too late..."

The woman sighed and looked around, "They've already arrived."

"Are they coming for me?"

"Could it be that they’re after you, an unknown escort guard?"

"If you deliberately lured them here, you must have had a plan, right?"

"I did, but not anymore."

"Why?"

"…Naturally, it’s because there’s one more person— you."

"How about this: I’ll explain for you, claiming I’m just a passerby with too much curiosity and no intention of getting involved in your affairs…"

"It’s too late. Now that you’ve caught their attention, there’s only one way out."

"What way?"

"Kill them all!"

As these words fell, a water spout suddenly erupted from the lake behind the woman.

The water spout burst upward, and at the same time, a figure leaped out of the water.

With their first move, a star-like glow appeared, swift as a meteor and bright as a spark. In the blink of an eye, it was already behind the woman.

But she had already turned around.

As her hands spun, a sharp light crossed the air, followed by a ringing sound. The sudden sneak attack shattered instantly under the blade.

The attacker seemed unsurprised, flipping their palms and lunging forward. However, before reaching her, the woman had vanished.

In a moment of shock, a cold sensation crept up his neck. Looking down, he saw the tip of a saber piercing through his throat, dripping with fresh blood. Before he could react, he was kicked hard from behind.

He flew to the shore, barely landing before his life slipped away.

The woman landed gracefully, her gaze sweeping around. Ten people had silently surrounded her.

Nine were hidden beneath black robes, their eyes stern and cold.

Only one wasn’t wearing black, his face a mix of seriousness and joy.

This person Su Mo recognized…

One of the four!

"Jade Soul Killing Technique! Indeed, remnants of the Yu family!!"

His voice was excited, almost commanding:

"Fellow envoys, this remnant of the Yu family has survived by sheer luck. Instead of being grateful, she used the Mystic Clasp to lure us here, surely plotting something significant. Whether the Mystic Clasp is genuine or not remains uncertain. Please be cautious and try to capture her alive."

"Hmm, you make sense."

The nearest black-robed figure nodded slightly, the blade in his hand flickering half an inch out of its sheath.

"In that case, let me..."

He clasped his hands, but as he spoke, a cold flash cut through his neck!

Instinctively, he clutched his throat, disbelief filling his eyes.

"W-Wh-Why..."

Before he could finish "why," he collapsed to the ground, dead.

"Crime one: I raised you all to secretly investigate the whereabouts of the Mystic Clasp. Not only did you fail to find it, but you also fell into someone’s trap. What use are you?

"Crime two: Falling for a scheme and still thinking you can claim credit—utter foolishness, deserving death!

"Crime three: Who do you think you are, presuming to instruct us?

"Today, you brought your own demise upon yourself."

The black-robed figure’s tone was stern and cold, his gaze turning to the woman: "Are you Yu Lingxin?"