Chapter 120: Disappearance

Chapter 120: Disappearance

The feast, having reached its peak, ended with the guests and hosts parting in high spirits.

Su Mo, Yang Xiaoyun, and Liu Mo saw off Mr. Cheng, the innkeeper, and each returned to their rooms.

The news about the Heavenly Blade Sect that Mr. Cheng mentioned during the banquet was merely taken as casual conversation over tea.

It wasn't really taken to heart.

After all, their escort mission had come to an end here.

They would rest for a day tomorrow, and then set off on horseback to return to Sunset City the day after.

The reason for staying one more day was to give the escorts and guards a day off.

Since they came to Wufangji, they should have some time to explore.

The older ones could buy gifts for their families, the younger ones could purchase fine goods for their sweethearts, and bring back local specialties for their parents and siblings—these were all reasonable things to do.

Although caution is necessary when traveling, now that the cargo has been delivered, even if they are cautious, it's not to the point of forbidding them from going out.

Of course, necessary warnings still need to be given.

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun parted ways at the door, each entering their respective rooms.

Before he even sat down at his desk, Su Mo heard the system notification in his ear.

His heart stirred, and he immediately opened the system.

A message appeared before him.

"Reward settlement complete!"

"Reward obtained: Divine Agility!"

Su Mo looked at the reward, slightly stunned, then a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Is it this lightness skill?"

In that moment, the various techniques of Divine Agility instantly merged into his mind, and in an instant, he grasped them as if he had practiced for years.

After a while, Su Mo let out a gentle breath, the corners of his mouth curling up.

He was naturally familiar with this martial art, which originated from the Iron Sword Sect and was extremely interesting and ingenious.

Even those who don't know martial arts can learn something from it.

The first level of this skill is called "Slippery Feet."

Once mastered, it allows one to travel a thousand miles in a day.

The second level is named "Gecko Climbing Walls."

This technique is somewhat similar to the widely known gecko wall-climbing technique but has its unique aspects.

The third level is called "Eel Drilling Holes."

Though the name may sound crude and even suggestive, it is the essence of this martial art's movement.

The way internal energy is circulated is very special, involving rotation and vibration, making it slippery and hard to grasp.

This is similar to the spinning motion of the Eight Directions Dragon Spear in the Eight Desolate Cloud Piercing Technique, which makes the spear difficult to control.

Of course, everything has its limits. If your opponent is much stronger and has far superior internal energy, no matter how you vibrate or rotate your internal energy, you will still be unable to escape their grasp.

Su Mo felt a sudden excitement.

Divine Agility might not be the most powerful, but it would be very useful for him.

The lightness skill he learned from the Purple Sun Sect was not particularly outstanding and relied heavily on his internal energy to achieve any significant effect.

Now, with a proper and excellent lightness skill, he naturally wanted to try it out.

He immediately moved his toes and spun around the room.

Lost in thought, his figure flickered, sometimes sitting on a chair, sometimes lying on the bed, and suddenly appearing on the ceiling, hands pressed against the roof like a large gecko, firmly in place without falling.

After a thorough trial, Su Mo finally took a deep breath and stood still.

His ears twitched slightly, hearing the sound of a window opening and closing. Curious, he approached the window, pushed it open a crack, and peered out.

He saw a burly man walking away.

"Hmm... Liu Mo?"

Su Mo was surprised. What was Liu Mo doing out so late at night?

But looking at the direction he was heading, he saw a brightly lit pink building where business was being conducted at night, and he suddenly understood: "It seems even this taciturn man has his emotions and desires."

He shook his head lightly, not giving it much thought.

As long as Liu Mo returned safely the next day, even if he took the entire guard team to drink and enjoy the company of courtesans, Su Mo wouldn't mind.

Without further ado, he got into bed, sat cross-legged, and began to practice his internal energy cultivation.

The next morning, Su Mo got up early and called Yang Xiaoyun to have breakfast together.

Then he instructed the staff at the escort agency and the brothers in the guard team to try not to cause trouble when they were out.

However, if they really encountered any difficulties, they could come to him for help.

After saying this, his gaze swept over the people in the guard team: "Your leader Liu hasn't returned yet?"

"Hmm? Where did Leader Liu go?"

"Probably sneaked out again last night to drink and carouse."

"How unbrotherly, drinking and carousing without inviting us along."

With their burdens lifted, everyone spoke with less restraint.

Hearing this, Su Mo paid even less attention. It seemed that nothing had changed; indeed, one cannot judge a person by appearance or measure the sea with a dipper. A quiet person isn't necessarily honest; they might just be introverted and a bit of a secret lover.

At the mention of drinking and carousing, Yang Xiaoyun's ears perked up, and she turned to look at Su Mo.

Ignoring her, Su Mo waved for everyone to get back to their tasks.

"We should go too."

After everyone left, Yang Xiaoyun tugged on Su Mo's sleeve.

Su Mo's lips twitched: "What is it?"

"Drinking and carousing."

Yang Xiaoyun said matter-of-factly: "You promised me, I've been curious about how to drink flower wine for a long time."

"Didn't you ever think of going in disguise as a man?"

Su Mo was curious; TV shows and movies often depicted such scenes.

"That place is prone to trouble. I wanted to go with you to keep an eye on you, so you don't exhaust yourself."

"But you ran away as soon as you saw me, and in my anger, I dragged you out and beat you up on the street..."

Hearing this, Su Mo subconsciously rubbed his nose.

Yang Xiaoyun also realized what she said and grinned: "Xiao Mo is now so skilled in martial arts; I can't possibly match you anymore. I won't be able to beat you up in the future."

"Looking at your face, you seem quite disappointed?"

Su Mo widened his eyes.

"Ha ha ha."

Yang Xiaoyun laughed heartily but didn't answer, continuing instead: "As for me, it would be embarrassing to go there alone. If I take the brothers from the escort agency, it would be even more embarrassing. So, if I want to drink flower wine, I can only go with you... Come on, let's go. Take me there."

"Hmm... Miss Yang."

Su Mo looked up at the sky: "Why don't you check what time it is now?"

"Roughly... past the second hour of the day?"

"Exactly."

Su Mo nodded: "Do you think any flower wine house would still be open at this time? They operate at night and close at dawn to sleep."

"Then why hasn't Leader Liu returned?"

Yang Xiaoyun asked curiously and righteously.

"That's called staying overnight."

Su Mo rolled his eyes: "Adult matters, don't pry... Come on, since we have free time today, let's go see the town. Wufangji is quite large, and there are many things to buy. I should also get you some cosmetics or something..."

"Why would you give me that?"

Yang Xiaoyun gave Su Mo a puzzled look.

Su Mo was momentarily speechless and countered: "Then what else?"

"Give me a weapon!"

Yang Xiaoyun said: "But I'm already quite comfortable with the Dragon Spring Spear, so I don't need to replace it for now. Hmm, how about this, give me a set of armor to protect my heart."

"..."

Su Mo opened his mouth, then suddenly realized.

Even though Yang Xiaoyun occasionally showed a feminine side in front of him, she could never be considered a weak woman.

This woman was anything but weak and was very strong.

He had never heard of a girl wanting to buy something like a heart-protecting armor while shopping.

Yang Xiaoyun seemed oblivious to Su Mo's shock and continued chattering:

"For heart-protecting armor, the material should be good. Too thick and it's uncomfortable to wear, too light and it's not effective..."

Suddenly, Su Mo reached out and pressed his finger against Yang Xiaoyun's chattering mouth.

Yang Xiaoyun froze, startled by Su Mo's action, unable to move, and her face turned red almost instantly.

Hearing Su Mo's darkened face, he said, "Shut up and follow me, no more talking."

After saying that, he pulled Yang Xiaoyun out.

Yang Xiaoyun dared not say much for a moment, but after hesitating for a long time, she finally asked, "Where are you taking me?"

"To buy a heart-protecting armor... Ah, forget it! Shut up, I'm taking you to buy things women should buy."

Yang Xiaoyun, being dragged along helplessly, could only follow.

Although she didn't care about so-called 'things for women,' seeing Su Mo's enthusiasm, she didn't want to dampen his spirits.

What Su Mo considered as things women should have were mostly cosmetics and silk clothes.

Yang Xiaoyun, holding the cosmetics, didn't know how to use them and was less knowledgeable than Su Mo.

Wearing the luxurious clothes felt cumbersome, hindering her leg techniques or entangling her spear skills, making her want to tear off all the extra fabric, muttering:

"Why sew so many strips of cloth on a perfectly good outfit?"

The shopkeeper, though experienced, rarely saw someone like this, and was momentarily so angry that his mouth twisted.

However, as time passed, Yang Xiaoyun gradually became curious about the things on the street.

Occasionally, when she encountered something unfamiliar, she would ask Su Mo.

Although Su Mo was also unfamiliar with these things, thanks to his background in an era of advanced internet communication, he could guess most things based on his keen eye and knowledge.

At first, Yang Xiaoyun suspected that Su Mo was fooling her and went to ask the stall owner, only to find that what Su Mo said was mostly accurate, which made her completely convinced.

Then, whenever she saw something she didn't understand, she would ask Su Mo, who would explain if he could guess, and remain silent if he couldn't.

The two of them ended up playing a guessing game on the street, which left Su Mo feeling quite dejected.

Yang Xiaoyun, however, was suddenly very excited.

She rarely had the chance to stroll around the streets while escorting goods, and the other escorts both respected and feared her, none daring to take her shopping.

Moreover, Yang Xiaoyun considered herself Su Mo's wife.

Although people in the martial world often disregarded minor details, she maintained propriety in this aspect, never getting too close to men.

Walking around the streets with Su Mo today was a first for her.

Glancing sideways, Su Mo saw someone selling candied haws in the middle of the street.

His eyes lit up, and he told Yang Xiaoyun to wait while he bought two sticks.

By the time he turned back, Yang Xiaoyun had vanished.

Looking around, he saw her standing behind a few women, peering curiously.

These women, clearly already married, guarded the stall closely, preventing others from seeing what they were buying.

Yang Xiaoyun, on tiptoe, hadn't been noticed.

Just then, Su Mo arrived, "Here, what are you looking at?"

Yang Xiaoyun took the candied haws, took a bite, and her eyes lit up, "Not bad, different from those in Sunset City. Well, nothing special, just curious because they were so secretive. Turns out, they were just buying some wood. I don't see what the fuss is about."

"Wood..."

Su Mo was stunned, looked back, and couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time, pulling Yang Xiaoyun away.

Confused, Yang Xiaoyun turned back and saw one of the women, who had clearly heard them, turning around, ready to scold them.

Before she could say anything, Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun had already fled, leaving her with a mouthful of unspoken words, feeling quite frustrated.

After running down a street, Yang Xiaoyun couldn't help but ask, "Why such a hurry? What's so special about what they were buying? It just looked like some black sticks, maybe for the stove? But they don't seem easy to burn."

Seeing her innocent expression, Su Mo couldn't help but tap her forehead lightly.

Painfully, Yang Xiaoyun looked at Su Mo with a hint of grievance, not knowing what she had done wrong, and pouted:

"Xiao Mo, your kung fu has really improved, haven't you? You look down on me now, bullying and yelling at me, and even hitting me..."

"Who told you to be so dense?"

Su Mo sighed, "That thing... isn't wood, it's deer antler, well, never mind, let's not talk about it."

"Deer antler, I see."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded repeatedly, "They must be buying deer antler for medicine. But the quality doesn't seem great, and the shape is quite peculiar. Indeed, not for burning."

"Um... right, that's it."

Su Mo breathed a sigh of relief, feeling speechless. This place really sells everything.

For these women to buy such things openly on the street, they must be quite bold, influenced by the free-spirited nature of the northern people.

For the rest of the day, Su Mo dragged Yang Xiaoyun around Wufangji.

They didn't buy much, just a wolf fur coat for Uncle Fu, as winter was approaching and it would be useful.

Su Mo wanted to bring something back for Yang Yizhi, but Yang Xiaoyun waved her hand, "The Iron Blood Escort Agency has everything, and even if we bought something for him, he wouldn't appreciate it."

Su Mo thought for a moment but shook his head, "Whether he appreciates it or not is his business, but buying it is our gesture, and that's different."

Yang Xiaoyun fell silent for a moment and let Su Mo do as he wished.

In the end, the two of them wandered through the streets, carefully selecting and purchasing a pendant made from the Northern specialty, Black Ice Jade.

It was crystal clear, with an excellent water color, personally chosen by Yang Xiaoyun after much effort.

Once the item was securely placed in a brocade box, the sky gradually darkened.

Hand in hand, they returned to the inn. The members of the escort agency and the guard team had mostly returned as well. Upon seeing Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun, they all stood up to greet them.

Su Mo glanced at them, his brow slightly raised. "Where is Leader Liu?"

As he spoke, he instinctively looked up at the second-floor room, but it was eerily quiet. With Su Mo's keen hearing, he knew that Liu Mo was not sleeping inside.

The guards exchanged glances, each asking the others, but in the end, no one had seen where Liu Mo was.

"Could he still be at that pleasure house?"

"Surely not for a whole day and night?"

"We've never seen Leader Liu have that kind of stamina before..."

"It's all behind closed doors; what do you expect to see?"

The conversation among the few men became increasingly inappropriate.

They were mindful of the women in the escort agency and the presence of Yang Xiaoyun, otherwise, who knows what else they might have said.

Su Mo's brow furrowed, sensing something was amiss.

He immediately instructed Xiaochuan to take a few guards to check if Liu Mo was indeed at the pleasure house for a full day and night.

Less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Xiaochuan rushed back with a few others.

"Chief, something's wrong!"

Xiaochuan hurried over. "Leader Liu isn't there, and I even asked the madam. She said he didn't visit last night."

"..."

Su Mo's brow lifted slightly. "What about the others?"

"I sent them to inquire at other places."

"Hmm."

Su Mo nodded, then suddenly turned to look at the guards.

At this moment, most of their faces showed confusion and unease.

Although Su Mo's prestige had reached its peak on this journey, their leader was still Liu Mo.

With Liu Mo's whereabouts unknown, they were uncertain about their next steps.

After a moment's thought, Su Mo asked, "Does your leader have any acquaintances here in Wufangji?"

They exchanged looks and shook their heads simultaneously.

"Alright, no need to panic."

Su Mo said, "Send a few more people to ask Mr. Cheng, the innkeeper, if he has seen him."

"Alright."

A few of them immediately set off.

At this moment, someone whispered, "Chief, could Leader Liu have gone to the Heavenly Blade Sect?"

"Hmm?"

Su Mo looked at the man. "Why do you say that?"

The man, who was quite old, smacked his lips and said, "I accompanied Leader Liu on this route a couple of times before. Each time we arrived in Wufangji, he would always climb high and gaze toward the direction of the Heavenly Blade Sect. His eyes... always gave me an indescribable feeling, something unsettling."