Chapter 46: Clues

Chapter 46: Clues

From the moment that ‘thief’ first appeared tonight, Su Mo had already made his calculations.

These people had planned meticulously, but they never expected Su Mo's inner strength to be so extraordinary, with keen senses of hearing and sight.

They thought their covert actions were flawless, unaware that everything was under Su Mo's control.

If they had possessed Yu Lingxin’s ability to conceal their presence, it might have been different.

But since they didn’t, Su Mo saw through them as if they were transparent.

Only two things caught Su Mo off guard.

One was the unexpected intervention of the person who wanted to borrow the sword.

This person did not hide their tracks, so Su Mo knew about them in advance.

Initially, he thought this person was following them just to borrow the sword, but who knew what their true intentions were?

If they took advantage of the chaos to do something nefarious, Su Mo could deal with them at the same time.

However, he did not expect that their intervention was to stop Qijue Hall.

As a result of these changes, Qijue Hall abandoned their initial plan and prepared to use their second strategy directly.

In fact, if Su Mo had been willing to play along, he could have followed the ‘thief’ secretly when they acted, and still solve the problem.

But doing so would have added unnecessary complications.

At this point, there was no room for such complications, especially since the Sword Leader looked down on Su Mo and arrogantly offered his life as compensation.

Su Mo is someone who adapts easily to circumstances.

Hearing those words, how could he not take the opportunity to take that life?

The reason he engaged in a lengthy explanation with the ‘thief’ had two main purposes.

First, he wanted to see if there was someone behind the scenes manipulating the situation.

The arrival of Qijue Hall was strange, and Su Mo believed that his and Yang Xiaoyun’s journey had been relatively secret, and the object they were protecting had not reached a fourth party’s ears.

Although it was possible that Ji Shuhua might have spread the news, he couldn’t rule out the possibility that someone else was deliberately luring Qijue Hall here to muddy the waters.

Second, just like what Qijue Hall intended to do.

Su Mo needed a legitimate reason to kill the members of Qijue Hall.

Their plans must not remain secret; otherwise, Su Mo’s massacre tonight would lack justification.

Otherwise, he might gain a reputation for being overly bloodthirsty.

By having Qijue Hall explain the situation themselves, Su Mo secured the moral high ground.

Yang Xiaoyun, as the deputy head of Iron Blood Escort Agency, has a solid reputation.

Today, by overhearing this matter, she ensures that if Qijue Hall ever comes looking for trouble, they will have a valid defense. Or if Su Mo decides to confront Qijue Hall, it won’t be without cause.

In the world of martial arts, while it may seem devoid of logic, those who strive to stay on the righteous path must adhere to rules.

Otherwise, they cannot stand firm.

Regarding the person who attacked from the shadows, although Su Mo did not anticipate their movements, he was still cautious.

Just as he said, who hasn’t watched TV dramas where key information is about to be revealed, and someone suddenly appears to disrupt it?

If such a thing happened in front of him, wouldn’t Su Mo be like those slow-witted protagonists in TV dramas?

Thus, despite lacking concrete evidence, he remained vigilant.

Sure enough, someone launched a surprise attack.

But then, another unexpected event occurred.

In the darkness, there was not just one person.

The one who tried to assassinate and silence others was caught by another person when Su Mo arrived.

Su Mo exchanged a palm strike with this person.

This person’s inner strength was incredibly powerful, yet they deliberately concealed their origins, leaving Su Mo momentarily uncertain about their specifics.

However, during the exchange, Su Mo sensed a familiar aura, reminding him of the fifth person he encountered in a narrow alley in Sunset City.

That person had exceptional lightness skills, captured someone, exchanged a palm strike with Su Mo, and vanished instantly. Chasing them now would be futile.

With a slight frown, Su Mo turned back to the ‘thief’:

“What were you about to say?”

At this moment, the person realized that they had narrowly escaped death. Someone had attempted to silence them, and they would have been dead if not for Su Mo.

Without hesitation, they confessed: "I... I was going to say that the person who informed the Sword Leader about this matter... came from Heavenly Feather City! That person is a skilled subordinate of the city lord Hua Qianyu. When I accompanied the Sword Leader on a visit to Heavenly Feather City, I met him once."

"What's that man's name?"

Yang Xiaoyun immediately pressed for an answer.

"Chasing Souls in Autumn Rain, Night Meteor... that man is the Meteor Sword Zhang Ming!"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun instinctively exchanged a glance.

Chasing Souls in Autumn Rain, Night Meteor is a description.

A description of his swordsmanship.

Cool autumn rain, chasing souls, swift as a meteor.

Under the night sky, the meteor not only encompasses the chill of autumn rain and the killing intent of chasing souls but also moves as fast as lightning, making it hard to catch.

Thus, the Meteor Sword has gained a formidable reputation.

Being within the territory of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance, one of the four cities, Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun naturally had heard of this person's fame.

But at this moment, neither of them said much about it; a single glance was enough to understand each other's thoughts.

Su Mo glanced at the thief and smiled lightly. "Now that you've spoken these words, does Qijue Hall still have a place for you?"

"This..."

The man's face turned pale, realizing his situation was indeed extremely perilous.

Without mentioning other things, merely allowing the Sword Envoy to be killed and then surrendering on the battlefield—moreover, revealing their plans to the enemy—was enough to warrant death countless times over.

This was fundamentally damaging the reputation of Qijue Hall.

There truly was no place left for him in Qijue Hall.

Furthermore, there were people secretly wanting to take his life, cutting off this disobedient tongue.

Lastly... there were Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun right in front of him.

Now that they had finished asking their questions, whether he lived or died was entirely up to them.

Indeed, his life and death were no longer in his own hands but controlled by others.

For a moment, he felt utterly hopeless.

Then he heard Yang Xiaoyun smile slightly. "The debt with Qijue Hall cannot be so easily dismissed. If you want to live, there is still a way, but it depends on your luck."

"Please... please teach me, Lady Hero!"

The man immediately knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly.

When one reaches the brink of despair, even the slightest glimmer of hope will not be ignored.

Yang Xiaoyun said, "Go to Sunset City and find the Iron Blood Escort Agency. Tell them Yang Xiaoyun sent you to stay there temporarily. If you can successfully reach the Iron Blood Escort Agency, your life will be saved. However, whether you can survive the journey is uncertain. It's a gamble with your life, and it depends on whether you can seize that sliver of hope."

"Iron Blood Escort Agency!? Are you Yang Xiaoyun, the Deputy Chief of the Iron Blood Escort Agency?!"

The man's face was filled with astonishment, clearly unaware of Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun's identities.

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun exchanged another glance, both showing a hint of surprise in their eyes.