Chapter 115: An Encounter

Chapter 115: An Encounter

This night passed without incident, and before long, dawn broke the next day.

As the morning light began to brighten, the escort wagons were already prepared for departure. Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun bid farewell to Wei Ziyi and continued leading the team on their journey.

The matter of the invitation through the lute music from the previous night was left unresolved.

Although Su Mo did not know exactly who had been playing the lute late into the night, he knew that there could not be many people capable of doing such a thing in the Wei residence.

The most likely person was Huaqian Yu, the head of Heavenly Feather City and Wei Ziyi's mother.

If it really was her, meeting Su Mo in the Wei residence would be vastly different from Huaqian Yu wanting to meet the head of the Ziyang Escort Agency.

Inviting someone with lute music was even more discreet.

However, Su Mo was genuinely uninterested in the affairs of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance or Wei Ziyi's family matters.

Leaving immediately was also a clear statement of his stance.

Now that there was no follow-up, it was not necessarily a bad thing.

As for Huaqian Yu's invitation being ignored by Su Mo...

Such a thing did not exist.

Even if the person was indeed Huaqian Yu, it was just playing the lute at midnight.

Su Mo listened briefly and then went back to sleep...

What did it have to do with anyone's face?

From Heavenly Feather City, they continued northward, and the journey was uneventful.

In just a few days, they arrived at the Hui River.

The Hui River is a major river, one of the three rivers that flow through the region of Four Cities, Three Rivers, and Two Bays.

At the point where it reaches Heavenly Feather City, the river makes a turn, forming an east-west flow.

It lies between the Heavenly Blade Sect and the Fallen Phoenix Alliance, serving as a boundary river dividing the north and south.

Following the river, it eventually turns south and flows into the Endless Sea.

The other end extends deep inland, connecting with multiple rivers, reaching various parts of Dong City.

Naturally, there are people buying and selling along this large river.

Many gangs operate along the waterways, but most within the territory of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance have been incorporated. Deeper into Dong City, there are notorious waterway bandits.

However, they would not encounter them here.

Su Mo and his group only needed to cross the river, which was a straightforward transaction. They paid the crossing fee, and given their numbers, no one dared to provoke them.

Thus, crossing the river was smooth.

When disembarking, Su Mo looked up and saw a group of people standing silently on the riverbank.

Though they stood among the crowd, their distinctive demeanor set them apart from ordinary people.

These individuals had cold, stern faces, carried single-edged swords, and their eyes showed little emotion, as if nothing in the world could move them.

The middle-aged man leading them was as cold as stone, tough as a blade, and his gaze revealed a hint of sharpness.

"They are from the Heavenly Blade Sect."

Yang Xiaoyun recognized them immediately, somewhat surprised.

"The Heavenly Blade Sect resides in the northern Heavenly Gate Mountain and rarely ventures deep into the heartland of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance. Their presence here is sensitive and could easily lead to misunderstandings. I wonder what they are doing here?"

"That's hard to say."

Su Mo shook his head. "With ordinary people, you might be able to judge their intentions from their expressions. But the Heavenly Blade Sect... they all look like they're carrying a heavy burden. Even when nothing is wrong, they look as if someone owes them ten thousand taels of silver. It's hard to tell what they're up to from their faces."

"Haha, there has always been a saying in the martial world that it's hard to tell whether the Heavenly Blade Sect is repaying kindness or enmity. This is because they show no emotion when doing either.

"In the past, this led to many amusing incidents. A disciple of the Heavenly Blade Sect once received help and decided to repay the favor years later. Carrying his sword out of Heavenly Gate, he exuded a murderous aura. The benefactor, having forgotten about the past kindness, thought he had somehow offended a skilled warrior from the Heavenly Blade Sect and fled in fear. When the disciple arrived and found the place empty, everyone was confused until someone asked why he was there. The disciple explained, causing much laughter and bewilderment."

Yang Xiaoyun couldn't help but giggle.

Su Mo also chuckled, his gaze briefly resting on the middle-aged man before turning away.

Eye contact can sometimes cause trouble, especially since even in his previous life, a simple "What are you looking at?" could spark a fight. In this world, it's even more so.

As the boat docked, Su Mo reminded everyone to be cautious during the chaotic boarding and disembarking process, where thieves might take advantage.

Traveling in the martial world, one must always be vigilant against any unforeseen dangers.

While they didn't spot any bandits, they did notice someone acting suspiciously, hiding in the crowd and occasionally peeking around.

Initially, Su Mo thought this person was a thief, but he wasn't stealing anything; instead, he seemed to be avoiding someone.

Upon closer observation, it became clear that he was avoiding the Heavenly Blade Sect members.

Only after he had completely disembarked and left the Heavenly Blade Sect members behind did he straighten up and look back, his gaze falling on Su Mo and his group.

Su Mo had been keeping an eye on this person, and for a moment, their eyes met.

Caught off guard, the person suddenly covered their face with their hands and turned to run.

"..."

Su Mo was left utterly confused: "Who is that person?"

"Who?"

Yang Xiaoyun was curious.

Su Mo tried to point out the person, but they had already vanished.

He shook his head: "Let's get off the boat first."

After some time, the carriage was reorganized, and the horses of several people were brought over. They checked the seals on the carriage, counted the number of people and items, confirmed everything was in order, and then everyone left the riverside dock.

That night, the group rested in a town near the dock.

The innkeeper was experienced and offered an entire courtyard for Su Mo and his party to rest. The escort agency and guards also helped with food and drink.

Su Mo chatted amiably with the innkeeper, forming a slight connection.

In fact, Su Mo had been doing similar things along the way.

When escorting goods through the martial world, reputation and connections were key.

If friends in the martial world showed respect, the escort agency’s business would naturally flow smoothly.

Inns, seemingly ordinary, were actually crucial. Especially when traveling with a large group, exhaustion could lead to any number of problems.

Even if someone didn’t initially intend to rob you, seeing eight out of ten people in your group dozing off, with the remaining two looking sleep-deprived, would present an opportunity.

Thus, choosing good inns and building positive relationships became essential.

For inns, such arrangements were common. Escort agencies often came through, bringing substantial business. As long as the inns provided reliable service, the agencies would likely return.

Therefore, legitimate inns wouldn’t turn away escort agencies.

As for black inns... they would be even more welcoming.

Late at night, they might slip a sedative into the tea, and if the guests were not alert, they could easily kill and take the goods—no quicker way to make money.

Encountering such situations, one should not hesitate to draw weapons.

After resting in the town near the dock for a night, Su Mo and his group officially entered Heavenly Blade Sect territory.

Compared to the bandits in Fallen Phoenix Alliance territory, those here were even more ferocious.

They encountered ‘roadblocks’ up to three times a day.

Most of these encounters were challenges to Su Mo’s skills, and whenever possible, he showed mercy.

This earned him recognition among the bandits, proving that his reputation from Profound Theory Valley was well-deserved.

Of course, there were those who completely disregarded Su Mo.

Ambushes and attacks were frequent.

In such cases, there was no room for negotiation.

A command like “Wheels ready, weapons drawn, attack in unison” meant immediate action.

At such moments, Su Mo shed his previous demeanor of being overly accommodating.

The martial world was not just talk; it was about real skill.

He spared no one who truly underestimated him.

Killing a snake halfway only invites trouble, a lesson Su Mo understood well.

So, when it came to life or death, he left no survivors.

Afterward, he would visit the bandit camps, killing all who needed to die, gathering the bodies, and burning the camp to the ground.

However, such occurrences were rare. After crossing Hui River, it took over half a month before Su Mo did this once.

This single act significantly reduced the number of ‘roadblocks’ they faced.

The situation had its pros and cons.

On the bright side, many now feared Su Mo and hesitated to confront him.

On the downside, his reputation made potential allies wary.

Their attitude toward Su Mo became ambiguous.

If Su Mo were not leading the group, future journeys might face more complications.

Overall, though, the journey remained relatively peaceful.

On this day, under overcast skies, a sparse autumn rain began to fall.

An autumn rain brings a chill, but fortunately, the rain was light, and with their straw cloaks and hats, they remained quite comfortable.

The only thing to be mindful of was to prevent the rain from seeping through the fabric.

As they were advancing, Su Mo suddenly clenched his fist and raised his hand: "Stop!"

The convoy halted immediately upon Su Mo's command.

At this moment, they were passing through a narrow path in the woods.

The trees on both sides were deep and dark, and under the tapping of the autumn rain, they appeared even more desolate.

Yang Xiaoyun scanned her surroundings, cautious and alert.

Suddenly, she turned her head towards one side of the forest.

In an instant, a gust of wind broke through the sparse rain curtain and charged forth.

"Who's there?"

Yang Xiaoyun shouted sharply, and with a dragon's roar, she flicked her spear, dispersing the gust of wind.

She leaped onto the horse, her spear angled downward, her eyes sharp as lightning.

The forest fell silent once again, and for a moment, all was still.

Liu Mo had already taken the purple-gold concave flails from behind him, scanning the surroundings, the wheels of the carriages turning naturally.

They had encountered many situations along the way, and their reactions were now almost instinctive.

But at that moment, a figure burst out of the woods, appearing before the convoy in a flash.

When the figure landed, it did not stand on its feet but instead fell flat on the ground, lying prostrate.

The entire convoy fell into a stunned silence.

Peering over, they saw that the person's face was pressed against the ground, revealing only a back in a 'frog' position, seemingly unable to get up.

A voice emerged from the person's mouth.

Straining their ears, everyone heard the person whisper:

"Help me..."

The corner of Su Mo's mouth twitched, and he glanced towards the woods.

In the woods, a black-clad figure slowly stepped out, his gaze sweeping over everyone before settling on the two large flags.

"Ziyang Escort Agency?"

His voice was neither sinister nor eerie, just somewhat low, making it hard to discern his tone.

Su Mo silently watched the man without speaking.

The man sighed: "I thought I only needed to kill one, but another convoy showed up... And it happens to be quite troublesome."

He directed his gaze towards the convoy: "Where is the head of Ziyang Escort Agency?"

"I am he."

Su Mo lightly shook his head and clasped his fists.

"You are Su Mo?"

The black-clad man studied Su Mo for a moment, then smiled slightly: "Not bad. This matter originally has nothing to do with you, but since you've seen it, can Head Su give me a reason not to kill you?"

Su Mo sighed: "There are many reasons. Do you really want to hear them?"

"Yes, I always believe in listening to advice."

This black-clad man seemed quite talkative.

Su Mo looked at him curiously and said with a smile: "We are merely passing through and stumbled upon this incident unintentionally. However, we have no connection to it. If there are any grievances between you two that need to be settled, feel free to do so. We can pretend we saw nothing...

"How does this reason sound?"

"Not convincing enough."

The black-clad man shook his head: "If everyone's words could be trusted, there would be no need for silencing witnesses."

"True."

Su Mo nodded: "In that case, the second reason might not be to your liking."

"Speak freely."

The black-clad man waved his hand lightly, showing a certain demeanor.

Su Mo smiled confidently: "You cannot kill us."

"Reason?"

The black-clad man was momentarily puzzled.

"That's the reason."

Su Mo spoke seriously.

"..."

Silence.

The silence didn't last long before the man in black suddenly burst into laughter: "Interesting! Indeed, you live up to your reputation as the Chief Escort who devastated the Youquan Cult. Regardless of your martial arts, at least you're entertaining."

But Su Mo shook his head: "Those who prefer honesty aren't particularly interesting."

The man in black didn't need Su Mo's enlightenment; he simply stood there quietly, watching Su Mo.

In an instant, the rain seemed to become heavier.

Yang Xiaoyun subconsciously tightened her grip on the Longyuan Spear, while Liu Mo held his two purple-gold concave-faced maces, his dull eyes now filled with fighting spirit.

The escort masters from the agency guarded the wagons, their swords half-drawn, ready for action.

Then, the man in black suddenly moved, turning and running. In one step, he had already rushed into the forest, disappearing without a trace.

He didn't even leave a parting remark.

"..."

Su Mo sat on his horse, momentarily bewildered.

Looking in the direction the man in black had gone, he was at a loss for words for quite some time.

Turning back to look at Yang Xiaoyun and Liu Mo, he saw confusion in their eyes as well.

What was that about?

Recalling their conversation, Su Mo pondered for a moment.

Glancing at the person on the ground, Su Mo thought for a bit and called out to the convoy: "Let's go."

He didn't plan to check on the person or inquire further about the matter.

Nor did he intend to chase after the man in black.

Though the probability was low, if the man's goal was to lure them away, then chasing him would play right into his hands.

As for the truth of the matter...

It had nothing to do with Su Mo. They were just passing through here with the escort.

Encountering this person and this incident, driving the man away could be considered saving a life.

There was no need to delve deeper.

However, just as Su Mo decided to leave, the person on the ground struggled to get up:

"Wait... wait..."

He lifted his head, and the mud on his face was washed away by the rain.

Su Mo looked him over and suddenly raised an eyebrow: "It's you?"

Upon closer inspection, this person was the one who had been avoiding the Heavenly Blade Sect disciples when they first arrived at the Hui River dock.

At the time, Su Mo had thought he was a thief and had glanced at their convoy before leaving.

Su Mo had mentioned this to Yang Xiaoyun, but since the person hadn't reappeared, it was forgotten.

But now, they meet again?

Just as Su Mo was surprised, Liu Mo's voice came over: "Young Chief Ji?"

"Who?"

Su Mo turned to look at Liu Mo.

Liu Mo paused and whispered: "Ji Feiyang."

Surprised, Su Mo suddenly looked at Ji Feiyang, his eyes unreadable.

After a moment of contemplation, he took out a bottle of pills and threw it to him.

Ji Feiyang caught it instinctively, about to speak, but Su Mo waved him off:

"Young Chief Ji, farewell!"

"Move, move! Let's go, let's go!"

"..."

Ji Feiyang opened his mouth but couldn't say a word as the convoy hurried past, disappearing in a moment.

He clenched his fists, got up from the ground, looked at the pills in his arms, sighed lightly, and then disappeared into the forest using lightness kung fu, stumbling away.

...

...

Deep in the woods, atop a tree, the man in black stood on a branch and exhaled deeply.

"Luckily I'm smart. Being able to kill three lords with one sword, facing such a character? That would be sheer stupidity..."

"From what he said, it seems to be just a coincidence.

"That's good, at least we don't have to go to the trouble of plotting against such a dangerous person...

"However, being able to escape from someone like him and gather information makes me truly brilliant."