Chapter 47: Tiger Head, Snake Tail

Chapter 47: Tiger Head, Snake Tail

The flickering firelight cast shadows that danced and wavered.

The forest was silent; the remaining disciples of Qijue Hall who were barely clinging to life had already left, taking with them the bodies of their fellow members and the Sword Leader.

Whether they would survive the journey back to Qijue Hall was not a concern for Su Mo or Yang Xiaoyun.

That 'thief' had also departed.

They had left together.

As for what might happen between them after leaving, neither Su Mo nor Yang Xiaoyun cared.

However, this move did have a hint of psychological warfare.

If that 'thief' wanted to live longer, it would be best if news of his betrayal reached Qijue Hall as late as possible.

Thus, any choice he made was possible.

On one side were a group of wounded and defeated soldiers, while on the other was a 'thief' who desperately wanted to stay alive and prevent the news from reaching Qijue Hall. What would happen next was almost certain.

Nevertheless, both Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun felt that this matter was far from over.

Ordinary bandits or strongmen from nearby mountains and villages could sometimes become friends if they followed the rules when robbing escort goods.

However, the methods used by Qijue Hall were despicable and their intentions cold, even treating Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun like inexperienced newcomers to be bullied.

If Su Mo let this go unpunished, wouldn't the reputation of Ziyang Escort Agency become a laughingstock?

In the world of martial arts, reputation is paramount, and escort agencies are no exception.

While loyalty and friendship are valued, excessive weakness would make no one trust them with their goods.

Therefore, after delivering this escort, they would need to find a suitable time to seek justice from Qijue Hall.

At this moment, under the flickering firelight, the quiet forest seemed untouched, except for the bloodstains on the ground and the snoring of the sword borrower, silently recounting the events that had transpired.

This sword borrower had probably not had a good night's sleep in a long time.

He slept so deeply that even a knife at his throat might not wake him.

Su Mo approached him, waved his hand in front of his face, and found him completely unguarded.

Su Mo then tapped him twice without hesitation, causing his head to slump to the side, knocked out by Su Mo's touch.

"..."

Su Mo was somewhat surprised but still took out some insect-repelling pills and placed them on him before tossing him into a tree, hidden among the dense leaves, making him hard to spot.

"By noon tomorrow, he shouldn't wake up. Let's rest for the night and leave early tomorrow morning, getting rid of this persistent nuisance."

Yang Xiaoyun frowned, looking at the dancing flames, and whispered:

"Hua Qianyu, the Grand Lord of Heavenly Feather City, has a renowned expert named Zhan Ming under her command."

Su Mo sat beside her, intertwining his fingers in the firelight, but remained silent.

Yang Xiaoyun glanced at Su Mo thoughtfully and smiled softly: "What's on your mind?"

"Haha."

Su Mo chuckled, pondered for a moment, and shook his head: "I feel that something about this situation seems off. It feels like a tiger head, snake tail, and there's another aspect that doesn't quite fit."

"Explain further."

Yang Xiaoyun moved closer to Su Mo.

After gathering his thoughts, Su Mo glanced at the sword borrower in the tree and spoke in a voice only they could hear:

"Although Hua Qianyu is the Grand Lord of Heavenly Feather City, the four major cities are interconnected. Iron Blood Escort Agency travels extensively, and Uncle Yang's fame is well-known. She must know about us.

"However, based on the reaction of that 'thief,' Qijue Hall seems to know nothing about our identities.

"Otherwise, they wouldn't have come up with such a foolish plan.

"After all, with Iron Blood Escort Agency backing us, even if we were intimidated by these so-called martial elders today and fell for their trap, following them back to Qijue Hall,

"Uncle Yang would surely come with his dragon spear to demand our release. Do you think the Grand Lord Feng Wuxiang would be so angry that he'd slap the Sword Leader to death?"

Yang Xiaoyun raised an eyebrow: "I hadn't considered that... The Sword Leader does have some skill, but even without you, I doubt I would be weaker than him."

Su Mo smiled: "Then comes the question: Would Hua Qianyu not know this? Why would she send someone whose skills might not surpass yours to covet our goods? If she wanted to use us to eliminate the Sword Leader, this blade is clearly not sharp enough.

"On the contrary, if we capture the Sword Leader, wouldn't she expose her own weakness?"

"...That makes sense."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded: "Go on."

"This Hua Qianyu... I've heard of her. Her origins are unclear, and she debuted around the age of thirty.

"She had no foundation in Heavenly Feather City but rose to fame through her mastery of [All Flowers Fade in June]. She joined Fallen Phoenix Alliance and climbed from obscurity to replace the original Grand Lord of Heavenly Feather City, becoming the new Grand Lord and the second Grand Lord of Fallen Phoenix Alliance.

"In the world of martial arts, internal strife within factions is common. Without cunning and skill, mere martial prowess makes one just a high-ranking enforcer.

"Her rapid rise indicates exceptional martial prowess and cunning.

"Yet tonight, apart from inciting the Sword Leader of Qijue Hall to rob us, she had no backup plan."

"Not only was our identity exposed by the people of Qijue Hall, but the person we arranged to eliminate witnesses... was also captured."

"Combining all these factors, isn't it like starting strong but ending weak, making a mockery of ourselves?"

"If it truly was Huaqianyu's doing, then her position as the Second Alliance Leader seems suspicious indeed."

Yang Xiaoyun listened silently and nodded slightly: "So, someone is framing her?"

"To say that now might be premature; I'm just giving you a heads up."

Su Mo said, "Since someone from Qijue Hall has accused Huaqianyu, let's assume for now that she is the mastermind behind this."

Yang Xiaoyun understood Su Mo's meaning and smiled faintly: "Then, perhaps our journey will go smoothly from here on out?"

"If it does, then it would confirm that this is a frame-up..."

Su Mo sighed: "The world of martial arts is full of twists and turns. What appears to be a smooth path could be riddled with pitfalls dug by scoundrels."

He paused for a moment: "The black-clothed man who exchanged a palm strike with me earlier..."

"Hmm?"

Yang Xiaoyun looked at Su Mo.

Su Mo thought for a moment and shook his head lightly: "Never mind. I don't have enough certainty yet, so let's not mention it."

Yang Xiaoyun stared at Su Mo for a while and suddenly smiled: "Alright, tell me when you're sure."

"...Yes."

Su Mo blinked, suddenly feeling that at this moment, Yang Xiaoyun had less of her usual domineering presence and instead seemed more... feminine?