Chapter 124: Face

Chapter 124: Face

In a martial arts duel, there is naturally give and take.

There has never been a rule that allows one to attack while forbidding the other from retaliating.

However, Feng Ziheng's words were not entirely wrong. Everyone had seen that with that previous strike, Fu Hanyuan should have been powerless to turn the tide. Yet, somehow, he suddenly managed this stroke of genius, not only identifying Feng Ziheng's weaknesses clearly but also timing his move perfectly, without a single flaw.

It indeed felt highly suspicious.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

As Fu Hanyuan finished speaking, someone burst into laughter.

Everyone turned to look, and it was Ji Feiyang.

He had actually been watching for quite some time and could no longer contain his joy, laughing out loud.

Nangong Yu glanced at Ji Feiyang but ignored him, and the others merely cast a quick glance in his direction before refocusing on Fu Hanyuan inside the hall.

This made Ji Feiyang feel extremely embarrassed. If these Heavenly Blade Sect members had insulted or attacked him, he would have felt better, but their complete disregard of him was truly unbearable.

At this moment, Feng Ziheng shook his head lightly. "You don't have that ability."

"Didn't you just witness my capability?"

As he said this, he suddenly looked around at the Heavenly Blade Sect members present and smiled. "Well, since we're here to challenge today, if you're not convinced, we can have another match. But if you lose again, what will you say then?"

Feng Ziheng's face was as cold as stone, and he remained silent.

The others also watched Fu Hanyuan coldly.

Fu Hanyuan's expression darkened; the atmosphere of the Heavenly Blade Sect was truly making him very uncomfortable.

Just as he was about to speak, Nangong Yu's voice interrupted, "What do you intend to do?"

"Today, I came from the far north to challenge the Heavenly Blade Sect. If I happen to win even a slight advantage, I wish to take something from the Heavenly Blade Sect..."

Standing tall, Fu Hanyuan felt a bitter taste in his heart.

Actually, he should have said this before engaging Feng Ziheng.

But the Heavenly Blade Sect people were so infuriating, saying things like 'never heard of Fu Hanyuan,' which made him lose his temper and end up fighting Feng Ziheng without thinking.

Now, saying it seemed a bit odd.

"What thing?"

Nangong Yu's eyes remained indifferent, his voice almost ethereal.

"The Jade Cone!"

As Fu Hanyuan spoke these three words, the Hall of No Sharpness fell silent once more.

Feng Ziheng and Nangong Yu exchanged a glance, seemingly communicating something.

Their eyes showed confusion, but then Nangong Yu suddenly stood up:

"Seize him!"

"Huh?"

Fu Hanyuan was taken aback. He had been arrogant all the way from the foot of the mountain to the top, challenging the Heavenly Blade Sect under the guise of a fair fight, ensuring they couldn't use their numbers against him.

But now, everything seemed to change suddenly.

As this thought crossed his mind, he heard a Heavenly Blade Sect disciple rush in, announcing in a cold, detached tone:

"Master, Elders... There's a fire in the sect."

Nangong Yu didn't panic; he simply nodded. "A few of you come with me to put out the fire. The rest, seize this man and interrogate him thoroughly."

With that, he turned and left, disappearing in moments.

Fu Hanyuan knew something was amiss. Although the fire on the back mountain had nothing to do with him, he couldn't explain it now.

If the Heavenly Blade Sect captured him, who knew what treatment he would receive?

He laughed loudly, "So this is how the Heavenly Blade Sect adheres to the rules of the martial world? Challenging you, and you gang up on me. I'll remember this..."

With that, he leaped towards the main gate.

The people in the hall immediately sprang into action.

They had been annoyed with Fu Hanyuan for a long time, and now, with the master's order, they no longer held back, moving to capture him together.

The sound of swift movements filled the air as several Heavenly Blade Sect experts blocked the entrance.

Even Liu Mo flew to intercept him.

But Fu Hanyuan, though appearing honest, had hidden intentions.

With a flick of his wrist, a shower of ice shards rained down, striking like a storm of flowers.

The people at the door were momentarily stunned and immediately raised their weapons to defend themselves.

Seizing this opportunity, Fu Hanyuan suddenly changed direction and dashed towards a window on the side of the hall.

Just a glance revealed a man and a woman blocking the way ahead.

He knew that this man and woman had entered through the main gate earlier and were still pointing and gesturing at him while he was fighting Feng Ziheng. The man was particularly despicable, even saying that he was no match for Feng Ziheng.

A sneer curled the corners of his mouth as he roared, "Get out of my way!!!!"

With that, he lunged forward, charging straight at them!

The corner of Su Mo's mouth twitched; how did watching a show turn into this?

Today, he and Yang Xiaoyun came to the Heavenly Blade Sect to take Liu Mo away.

Of course, whether they could take him away was another matter, but regardless, they needed an explanation from Liu Mo.

Otherwise, leaving things unresolved would not do.

As for the affairs within the Heavenly Blade Sect, they had nothing to do with Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun.

Where Fu Hanyuan came from, why he challenged the Heavenly Blade Sect, and how he knew Feng Ziheng's weakness...

It was all just a grand performance before their eyes.

But now, the actors who had finished their performance wanted to leave. Fine, wanting to leave was one thing... but wanting to attack people was quite another.

Su Mo immediately pulled Yang Xiaoyun behind him and kicked out with his foot.

Who was Fu Hanyuan?

He dared to charge up to the Heavenly Blade Sect alone, declaring his challenge to Nangong Yu. Now, he wanted to leave, and these two reckless young people standing in his way were merely an annoyance. He only intended to knock them aside to teach them a lesson, so they would know to watch their words in the future and avoid trouble.

But he never expected Su Mo to be so audacious, actually daring to kick him?

However, it was too late to adjust his stance now. He sneered inwardly, "Don't know when to—"

The last word 'die' hadn't even left his mind when Su Mo's kick was already upon him.

He crossed his arms to block.

In an instant, the two forces collided.

Fu Hanyuan's sneer hadn't fully formed when his arms were broken through by the kick. His Heavenly Frost True Qi seemed like nothing, unable to stop the blow for a moment. Su Mo's foot struck his face directly.

First, his nose took the impact, then his entire face. The immense force made his facial muscles tremble visibly, and finally, his head was forced back, dragging his whole body with it.

Swoosh!!

The sound of the wind cutting through the air echoed as Fu Hanyuan flew back at a speed several times faster than when he arrived.

In an instant, he had crossed the entire Wu Feng Hall and crashed into the opposite wall.

Sliding to the ground, his head buzzed.

Stars danced before his eyes as he sat on the ground, looking around and subconsciously asked:

"Who hit me?"

He was completely dazed.

But Su Mo had held back, after all, this was a matter between the Heavenly Blade Sect and Fu Hanyuan.

If he had killed Fu Hanyuan with that kick before the matter was resolved, it wouldn't have been proper.

Even so, that kick left everyone present stunned.

However, while the Heavenly Blade Sect members were stunned, they remained cold and distant. So many pairs of icy eyes fixed on Su Mo made it seem as if he were their opponent.

Su Mo pursed his lips, glanced at his shoe, which was emitting a chill, and pointed at Fu Hanyuan: "Aren't you going to take him down?"

The Heavenly Blade Sect members snapped out of their stupor and pounced. Fu Hanyuan, already disoriented from Su Mo's kick, couldn't tell east from west. How could he be a match for them now?

In a daze, he was quickly apprehended.

The Heavenly Blade Sect members surrounded him, their eyes like lightning, cold and piercing, but none spoke a word.

Liu Mo, usually taciturn, stomped his feet in frustration at their silence: "Secure this person first, then hurry to put out the fire in the back courtyard!!"

With those words, the Heavenly Blade Sect members snapped to action, bowing to Su Mo in gratitude. Some carried Ji Feiyang, others carried Fu Hanyuan, and they rushed off to the back to extinguish the fire.

Liu Mo bowed to Su Mo: "Head of Security Su, I'll go help with the fire too."

With that, he also headed to the back courtyard.

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun exchanged a look and followed suit.

Otherwise, being the only outsiders in the empty Wu Feng Hall would look suspicious.

The burning buildings on the hillside were visible from afar, not just one but several places with thick black smoke rising.

Su Mo frowned; a simple fire wouldn't cause such widespread damage.

This was likely a deliberate act of arson.

As he thought this, someone called out loudly, organizing the manpower to divide and tackle the fires.

The arrangements were orderly and calm, as if they weren't dealing with a fire at their own place.

The disciples of the Heavenly Blade Sect were similarly composed, remaining calm despite the urgency of the situation.

Since Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun were already there, they naturally didn't hesitate to lend a hand, joining the crowd of Heavenly Blade Sect members, carrying buckets of water to fight the fire.

Many hands make light work, and many people can extinguish a fire efficiently.

It didn't take long for the flames where Su Mo and the others were to be put out by the crowd.

Suddenly, a shout was heard, and turning around, they saw Liu Mo dragging a man dressed in Heavenly Blade Sect attire approaching.

What was surprising was that when the Heavenly Blade Sect members present saw this person, they all looked puzzled.

One of them asked, "Who is this?"

"I was about to ask you."

Liu Mo also asked, "While I was helping to extinguish the fire, I saw this person acting suspiciously and trying to set more fires, so I caught him... He's not from your Heavenly Blade Sect?"

The few Heavenly Blade Sect members shook their heads, indicating they did not recognize him at all.

Su Mo was surprised. Could it be that the disciples of the Heavenly Blade Sect knew every single person in their sect so well?

Otherwise, how could they so easily determine that this person was not one of theirs?

Liu Mo then turned to look at the man: "Who are you really?"

"Me?"

At first, the man still seemed somewhat fearful, but then a sneer appeared on his lips: "I am naturally from the Heavenly Blade Sect."

As he spoke, a sudden blade glow emerged, and he lunged straight at Liu Mo's chest.

Liu Mo snorted coldly, his figure suddenly retreating to avoid the blade. The man, however, moved his feet and followed closely, using the Heavenly Blade Sect's sword technique.

Liu Mo showed no surprise, as if he was already familiar with the Heavenly Blade Sect's techniques. In a flash, he dodged the blade, and one of the two purple-gold concave flails on his back flew out.

With a light tap of his toes on the ground, he leaped up, grabbed the purple-gold concave flail, and fiercely brought it down from above.

The overwhelming force, accompanied by a fierce wind, pressed down relentlessly.

The man on the ground, having used up his momentum, barely managed to pull back, raising his head just in time to see the flail coming down. In a hurry, he only managed to draw his sword to defend.

A loud clang echoed!

The purple-gold flail from mid-air collided fiercely with the single sword. The man dressed as a Heavenly Blade Sect disciple, legs trembling, fell to his knees.

Gale winds rose from the point of impact, spreading in all directions.

In an instant, sand and stones flew, creating a fierce scene.

Seeing the man's arm gradually sink, clearly unable to resist, a smile suddenly appeared on his face.

"The Tyrant Flail, indeed lives up to its name!"

Liu Mo was taken aback, his pupils dilating. Before he could react, he felt the flail suddenly become empty, and the man below had vanished, leaving only a set of clothes and a sword.

Then, the figure flickered, and the man was already standing on the wall, dressed in tight black clothing, smiling:

"Next time we meet, I'll learn more about the Tyrant Flail. Farewell."

As he spoke, he was about to use his lightness skill to leave, but unexpectedly, he saw a large foot.

"What..."

Before he could finish his word, he was kicked off the wall.

Yang Xiaoyun, who had been standing next to Su Mo, was finally awakened from her daze. She looked back at where Su Mo should have been standing, then at Su Mo, who had somehow appeared on the wall, feeling speechless:

"How... How did his lightness skill become so incredible?"

She hadn't noticed when or how Su Mo had moved or reached the wall.

If Yang Xiaoyun, who was right next to him, hadn't noticed, how much more so the man on the ground?

In a daze, she saw several swords pointed at his neck, and he laughed despite his confusion:

"Remarkable!"

After uttering these three words, he suddenly threw himself onto the blade, leaving a deep gash on his neck, showing his resolve.

Without another word, he flipped over and fell to the ground, dead.

For a moment, everyone present looked at each other in shock.

None of them had expected such a turn of events.

Standing on the wall, Su Mo suddenly frowned. Looking down, he saw two figures fighting on a distant wall.

One was radiating a fierce aura, shocking the heavens.

The other, however, showed no ripples, yet his moves were vicious and deadly, forcing the other person to retreat continuously.

Despite his fierce aura, he couldn't hold back for a moment.

This person was none other than Nangong Yu, the leader of the Heavenly Blade Sect!

He had previously led people to extinguish the fire, but somehow ended up fighting this black-clad man.

And he wasn't winning.

The black-clad man laughed loudly:

"The five-year-sealed blade intent of Sect Leader Nangong is now in vain. The essence and spirit gathered in this one strike, yet it is directed at the sky. Could it be that you intend to emulate the grand feat of the founding ancestor of the Heavenly Blade Sect, who once swept away a thousand miles of cloud sea with a single stroke?"

Nangong Yu remained silent, blocking the opponent's moves with each gesture and seeking opportunities to counterattack.

"Pity... after this strike, your strength will be depleted, leaving your lair empty. It will take at least three months to barely recover. Otherwise, I wouldn't dare to face Sect Leader Nangong today...

"However, the Heavenly Blade Sect truly has a cold exterior but a warm heart. Though they appear indifferent and disregard all under heaven, they actually cherish every life in the world.

"The Daoist concept of unity between heaven and man does not follow this path. The Supreme Being forgets emotions, yet you are too emotional, no wonder you are not recognized by the orthodox!

"Just a small trick, and your five-year-sealed blade intent is wasted. The Heavenly Blade Sect... is nothing more than this!"

As he attacked, he spoke, aiming to disrupt Nangong Yu's rhythm.

Sure enough, as soon as the last words were spoken, Nangong Yu's blade faltered for an instant. In that moment, the black-clad figure had already gained the upper hand.

With a single palm thrust, he instantly broke through the sharp edge and struck Nangong Yu's chest.

Fortunately, Nangong Yu was no ordinary person. At this critical moment, he managed to sidestep and avoid the vital points.

But he still felt a powerful force surge towards him, sending him flying.

When he landed, half of his body was paralyzed.

Nangong Yu lifted his head, his eyes still cold, but he saw the black-clad figure step forward, a smile in his eyes, and raise his hand to strike!

He had been speaking during the fight to disrupt Nangong Yu's rhythm.

Now, without a word, he directly went for the kill.

But unexpectedly, when his palm descended, there was nothing beneath it.

Startled, he turned his head sharply and saw another person standing behind him.

This person was supporting Nangong Yu with one hand, carrying a sword case on his back, and with a sideways glance, a smile played on his lips: "What kind of talk is this? Setting fire is one thing, but don't you think killing is a bit excessive?"

"Are you Su Mo?"

The black-clad figure stood opposite, hands behind his back, clearly not the same person Su Mo had encountered twice before.

"Indeed."

Su Mo nodded, seeing no reason to deny it.

"Good."

The black-clad figure said nothing more, took a deep breath, and with a thunderous step, was already in front of Su Mo!

He punched!

The punch was like a rolling boulder, the wind fierce, the intent even stronger.

Su Mo smiled, and the Seven Injuries Fist emerged.

Suddenly, the two fists clashed mid-air, and for a moment, it was as if a thunderclap echoed from nowhere.

Su Mo's expression flickered, and he saw the black-clad figure spitting blood, flying farther and farther away...

Crossing two courtyards, startling many people of the Heavenly Blade Sect, he did not return, only his voice came:

"Headman Su's divine skills are unparalleled. We have no intention of being your enemy. Today, since you want to save someone, we'll give you this favor. Farewell... cough, cough, cough!!"

"Um..."

Su Mo's face was full of bewilderment.