Chapter 45: The Truth

Chapter 45: The Truth

Su Mo's voice was neither cold nor harsh.

His tone was gentle, as if he were exchanging a casual greeting with a friend.

Yet this casual greeting formed a stark contrast with the agonizing screams on the ground.

The man had no choice but to stop and turn around to look at Su Mo.

His face was pale, drained of all color.

Su Mo looked at him and smiled:

"Ever since you arrived here, I knew something was off. Although you got here first, I distinctly heard that the other two arrived almost simultaneously with you. However, you appeared, while they hid themselves on either side.

"They claimed you stole something from them, yet they never mentioned what it was.

"The Sword Envoy of Qijue Hall arrived, saw the sword case behind me, and immediately accused you of stealing it.

"If we take a step back, I could guess that the Sword Envoy simply saw my item and wanted to claim it for himself, sensing its value.

"However, the collusion between you earlier is hard to explain, isn't it?"

At this point, Su Mo squatted down and said with a smile: "Your injuries seem quite real, but the more you do and say, the more mistakes you make. I have a theory about your scheme, but I'd like to hear your explanation first."

His tone was warm, like an old friend sharing thoughts.

The man cautiously glanced at Su Mo before continuing:

"The Sword Envoy... encountered a swordsman earlier. They suddenly engaged in combat due to some reasons.

"The swordsman was incredibly skilled and managed to break the Sword Envoy's sword with a single strike...

"The Sword Envoy is only responsible for handling the Qingyang Sword, and any damage to it would result in severe punishment.

"So naturally, there was a gloomy atmosphere within the Sword Hall... until the Sword Envoy learned of a message about a master swordsmith who had crafted a new precious sword, comparable to the Qingyang Sword.

"That sword was being escorted by an unknown individual, and upon hearing this, the Sword Envoy saw it as an opportunity."

He glanced at Su Mo again, seeing no displeasure on his face, and continued:

"As you know, Qijue Hall's reputation is precarious. While the Sword Envoy wanted to rectify the damage to the Qingyang Sword, leading disciples to rob the escort openly, even disguised as bandits, would be risky. After all, nothing stays secret forever.

"He already bore a heavy responsibility, and such actions would only add to his troubles, even if he obtained a replacement.

"Thus, a meticulous plan was devised—have me pretend to steal something from the Sword Hall and approach you.

"The Sword Envoy's actions had two purposes.

"First, to create a sense of camaraderie between us, making us friends.

"Second, if you were intimidated by Qijue Hall's reputation and followed us, it would save a lot of effort.

"Otherwise, if it didn't work out, I could become your friend and find a way to secretly steal the sword..."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance at the person sleeping soundly against the tree trunk.

Even without this person, tonight's plan would have failed.

But thinking about this person's martial arts and Su Mo's indomitable spirit, he broke into a cold sweat, feeling deeply anxious.

"Wonderful."

Su Mo nodded in agreement: "If we had followed you to Qijue Hall, you would have complete control over the situation. Even if word spread, it would just be seen as a mistake made by two young, inexperienced individuals. Even if we returned unharmed after a tour of Qijue Hall, carrying the stigma of theft, how could we hold our heads high in the martial world?

"Who would believe our story? Instead, people might suspect us of falsely accusing Qijue Hall out of resentment.

"Furthermore, if we became friends as planned, even if you stole the sword at night, I wouldn't suspect Qijue Hall.

"After all, we were allies, and your reputation as a thief was clearly established by Qijue Hall.

"I would blame myself for befriending a thief and suffer the consequences of poor judgment.

"Well... indeed, a brilliant scheme."

Su Mo sighed; in this world, everything hinges on reason.

Qijue Hall's plan aimed to secure the moral high ground, completely dissociating themselves from the incident if it succeeded.

They might even mock us later, saying we were too naive to recognize deceit and fell into their trap.

Yang Xiaoyun sighed softly: "The dangers of the heart are the evils of the martial world."

"Indeed," Su Mo agreed, then asked another question: "Do you know why I haven't killed you yet?"

"Why... why not?"

Hearing this, the man couldn't help but look up at Su Mo.

"Because I have a question."

Su Mo asked: "You've told us so much, but you haven't revealed who told you about our journey or who informed you about the items we carry."

"Y-yes..."

The man raised his head and managed to utter two words when suddenly, a dim star appeared out of nowhere, darting straight for his throat.

This attack had been long in preparation, waiting for the moment he spoke to end his life.

Unexpectedly, at the instant the starlight flashed, Su Mo instantly reached out, grabbing the man and pulling him behind him, causing the cold star to embed itself in the tree trunk instead.

A thud echoed, and under the flickering firelight, the projectile gleamed with a toxic blue-green hue.

"I've been waiting for you. Do you really think I haven't watched any TV dramas?"

Su Mo casually threw the man towards Yang Xiaoyun, then with a light tap of his toes, leaped into the night.

Xiaoyun's heart tightened; she was about to call out a warning when a thunderous crash sounded.

In the darkness, the two figures had clearly clashed once, sending a strong gust of wind spreading outward, causing the flames to leap up more than a foot high.

Su Mo flew back, his brows furrowed.

Seeing this, Yang Xiaoyun hurriedly asked, "How is it? Are you hurt?"

"No problem."

Su Mo shook his head. "We exchanged one palm strike, but there are actually two people hiding in these woods."