Chapter Sixty-Four: Think Thrice Before Acting

Chapter Sixty-Four: Think Thrice Before Acting

"Daoist Zangming, how are you feeling?"

Luo Zhen hurriedly stood up and approached him, his beady eyes showing a hint of concern.

"...Is it Ugly Gentleman?"

Daoist Zangming was taken aback and immediately relaxed.

Luo Zhen twitched his lips, "Gentleman is gentleman; I am clearly a gentleman as I wish. What's ugly about me?"

"Who doesn't know that although the Ugly Gentleman is ugly, he has the best heart..."

Daoist Zangming weakly smiled, but then looked at Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun with some confusion. When his gaze fell on the silver spear in Yang Xiaoyun's hand, he suddenly understood, "Dragon Abyss Spear... judging by your age, you must be Yang Yizhi's daughter?"

"I am Yang Xiaoyun of the Iron Blood Escort Agency, greetings to Daoist Zangming."

Yang Xiaoyun clasped her fists and bowed respectfully, then introduced Su Mo, "This is Su Mo, the head of the Ziyang Escort Agency."

"Ziyang Escort Agency..."

Daoist Zangming frowned slightly, seemingly unable to recall, but did not press further. Looking around, his face darkened, "This... where is this place?"

"Beneath the Pinjian Tower in Jade Willow Villa."

Su Mo softly said, "May I ask, Daoist Zangming, the chief steward of Jade Willow Villa, Liu Qingkong, mentioned that one and a half months ago, you visited Yuliu Jianxin. What exactly happened?"

"One and a half months ago... visited..."

Daoist Zangming furrowed his brows, his face showing signs of pain, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Seeing this, Luo Zhen quickly said, "Daoist Zangming, don't worry, take your time."

"...Your humble servant is fine!"

Daoist Zangming suddenly stretched out his hand, "Your humble servant remembers! It was several months ago, maybe two or even longer. The exact timing is unclear... but I remember that night, enemies suddenly came to Profound Theory Valley.

"These people had strange martial arts and extremely ruthless methods. The leader's skills were no less than mine, and there were a few others assisting him.

"Your humble servant could not fight against them all and was eventually captured.

"Afterward, they assaulted me day and night with their evil techniques, causing my mind to waver.

"For a period of time, I lived in darkness. One day, the leader returned severely injured...

"After that, my mind regained clarity, and one of them suddenly appeared before me. Using some unknown method, I involuntarily stood up and followed his orders, though my mind was unusually clear at that moment, despite being unable to control my body.

"He looked at me and said, 'Not perfect, but it will have to do for now.'

"After saying this, under his manipulation, I went with him to the guest quarters of Profound Theory Valley.

"I learned that Jade Willow Villa had sent someone with a letter for me.

"After receiving the letter and dismissing the messenger from Jade Willow Villa, my mind once again became hazy.

"The next time I regained consciousness, I was on the way to Jade Willow Villa."

What Daoist Zangming said afterward matched what Liu Qingkong had previously stated.

Under the control of that person, Daoist Zangming visited Jade Willow Villa. Liu Suifeng, who was severely injured, met Daoist Zangming in his room, and then... a sudden conflict arose, leading to a fight within the room.

The person accompanying Daoist Zangming disguised himself as his disciple.

Although his skills were inferior to the leader, Liu Suifeng was severely injured, and thus, he managed to capture Liu Suifeng.

"Your humble servant and that person visited Liu Suifeng and captured him.

"Others attacked Jade Willow Villa from outside.

"With both inside and outside attacks, Jade Willow Villa could not withstand it.

"The last thing Your humble servant remembers when conscious was their discussion on how to deal with Liu Suifeng.

"They planned to take Liu Suifeng back to Profound Theory Valley and turn him into a blood slave using all their power.

"They said that if successful, he could be useful in critical moments.

"After that, Your humble servant knew nothing... They seemed to have dealt a heavy blow, leaving me in a daze until I regained consciousness and saw all of you."

While speaking, Daoist Zangming was still affected by the remnants of the Blood Transformation Technique, occasionally experiencing splitting headaches and weakness.

After barely finishing, he tried to stand up, "What time is it now? How is Profound Theory Valley? Is Liu Suifeng alright? And how did all of you end up here?"

"Daoist, please calm down. We don't know the situation in Profound Theory Valley yet. As for Jade Willow Villa... let me explain."

Luo Zhen helped Daoist Zangming sit down and began recounting the events.

Meanwhile, Yang Xiaoyun approached Su Mo, exchanged a glance, and remained silent.

This escort mission was commissioned by Ji Shuhua for a hundred taels of silver.

Su Mo accepted this mission partly because it aligned with a system task and also to gain some insight into the Fallen Phoenix Alliance.

Who would have thought that it would lead to so many complications?

The matter was far more serious than Su Mo had initially anticipated.

"Xiao Mo, this trip is too dangerous."

Yang Xiaoyun looked at Zangming Zhenren and Luo Zhen, noticing they hadn't paid attention to them, and whispered to Su Mo, "Although we should prioritize righteousness in our travels, the matter involves the Youquan Cult and the lives of many martial figures. Any misstep in our mediation could lead to dire consequences. We must think carefully about how to proceed."

These words surprised Su Mo; he had thought that given Yang Xiaoyun's character, she would charge ahead regardless of any danger.

Yet, it was she who hesitated first.

Seeming to sense Su Mo's surprise, Yang Xiaoyun gave him a sidelong glance. "In the martial world, righteousness and promises are important. However, recklessly taking risks is not only irresponsible towards oneself but also towards one's promises. If there's any mistake on this trip, and you rush into the Youquan Cult and die, not only will you lose your life, but you won't fulfill your promises either."

"Thinking thrice before acting doesn't mean not acting, but rather not wanting you to act rashly."

Su Mo smiled. "Xiaoyun, what you say makes sense. What would you do?"

"First, assess the situation. If it's feasible, handle the matters at Jade Willow Villa. If not, withdraw temporarily and send a letter to the Iron Blood Escort Agency to ask Father for help. We're not alone in this journey. If we can't fight, we'll have to seek help from our elders."

Yang Xiaoyun said this as if it were perfectly logical.

Su Mo couldn't help but sigh, "If we had more time, this would indeed be the best choice, but now... I fear there might not be enough time."