Chapter 131: The Gentleman on the Beam

Chapter 131: The Gentleman on the Beam

That night!

The small town by the riverside wharf was already in complete silence.

Su Mo was sitting cross-legged in his room, his inner breath circulating through various acupoints in his body, moving in a cycle without end.

Suddenly, his ears twitched slightly, and he opened his eyes, looking up at the roof with a hint of surprise.

Above the roof, footsteps landed, making an extremely light sound.

If it weren't for Su Mo's profound internal skills, it would have been impossible to discern them, indicating that this person's lightness skill was extraordinary.

The footsteps paused briefly on the roof before moving to the edge of the eaves, followed by a swift flip and hanging upside down.

At the very moment the intruder hung down, Su Mo suddenly rolled over and covered himself with the quilt.

Their movements were almost synchronized, so subtle that they did not disturb even a speck of dust.

Outside the window, the figure hung from the eaves, extending a finger to lick it before probing it towards the window, moistening it, and poking a hole in the window paper.

Peering inside, the intruder scanned the room, seemingly taking in every detail of the layout, then withdrew with satisfaction.

Su Mo squinted at the window and saw a bamboo tube being inserted through the hole.

Immediately, a stream of smoke was slowly sent in.

It seemed to be infused with internal energy, as the smoke quickly filled the entire room.

After completing this, the person retracted the bamboo tube, shrank back onto the roof, and waited quietly for a moment, allowing the smoke to take effect.

Su Mo, however, silently sat up, moved swiftly to the door, and opened it. With a wave of his palm, his internal energy circulated around the room, sweeping up all the smoke and sending it outside.

Only then did he release his held breath, but he still caught a whiff of the smoke.

He was taken aback: "Five-Bewilderment Powder?"

This substance was a low-grade stupefying smoke used in the martial world, not considered high-class.

However, it wasn't entirely ineffective; even an internal expert could be rendered unconscious if they inhaled a sufficient amount of Five-Bewilderment Powder.

Who usually used such things?

Thieves who picked locks and burglars who traveled alone, often targeting women.

The martial world had its own set of rules, and these two types of people were always despised.

The former might be tolerated, but the latter, regardless of whether they belonged to the righteous or the evil, were generally looked down upon.

Su Mo hadn't expected that within the territory of the Heavenly Blade Sect, their journey had been smooth sailing, but after crossing the Hui River, someone would use Five-Bewilderment Powder against him.

He shook his head lightly and returned to bed, covering himself with the quilt.

Five-Bewilderment Powder was not lethal; at worst, it would cause unconsciousness.

He decided to lie here and wait a bit to see what the intruder's true intentions were.

Given the intruder's impressive lightness skill, Su Mo didn't have full confidence in capturing him, so he had to lure him deeper.

The person on the roof was patient.

After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he moved again, hanging from the eaves and pulling out a dagger from his sleeve, inserting it into the window to lift the latch.

With a gentle push, the window opened.

However, he didn't rush in but instead took something from his pocket, flicked it onto the table, and it landed with a soft thud.

Seeing no movement from Su Mo, he finally leaped into the room.

Sniffing the air, he was somewhat surprised: "Why did the Five-Bewilderment Powder lose its potency so quickly this time?"

But seeing Su Mo lying motionless, he relaxed.

"Young hero? Chief Escort Su?"

He spoke softly, his boldness surprising as he sat on the edge of Su Mo's bed and glanced at him. "Not much to speak of, really. The martial world isn't just about fighting. A little trick like this, and you're out. It seems your trip to Wufangji is just a matter of those bandits, big names but small hearts, fearing the reputation you brought from Profound Theory Valley."

"But I didn't take you seriously, and now I'm going to pluck a hair from the tiger's mouth."

As he spoke, he reached out to pull a hair from Su Mo's head but hesitated, retracting his hand. "Forget it, if I wake you up, I'll be in trouble. Five-Bewilderment Powder doesn't work as well on someone with strong internal skills."

After saying this, he stood up and began rummaging through Su Mo's belongings.

Unbeknownst to him, Su Mo had already opened his eyes and was standing behind him, looking down as he searched.

What puzzled him slightly was that the intruder, dressed in a night suit, was actually wearing white, which was unusual.

In no time, he found a small box.

The box was locked, and the key was on Su Mo, but the intruder didn't go back to find Su Mo. Instead, he pulled out a hair, manipulated it with his internal energy, and it became as stiff as iron.

Inserting it into the lock, he fiddled with it a couple of times, and there was a click as the lock opened.

The thief's eyes lit up with joy as he opened the box, rifled through the silver notes and jewels, and stuffed them into his pockets. Then he picked up the book of paired verses.

Borrowing the moonlight, he flipped through it a few pages, but the text only confused him:

"What is it? Could it be so important that you'd pay such a hefty price to have me find it? In the end, it's just a music score. What on earth are these rich people thinking?"

He shook his head but still carefully put away the music score, closed the box, locked it, and returned it to its original place.

Striving for perfection, he nodded in satisfaction, stood up, and was about to leave.

Then... he saw Su Mo, who smiled at him.

"..."

The man thought for a moment and smiled back at Su Mo. "Farewell."

With that, he pivoted on his toes, spun around Su Mo, and was about to head out.

"Why the rush? Your visit in the dead of night speaks volumes of our friendship. If I can't offer you a cup of tea, wouldn't people laugh at Su Mo for lacking hospitality?"

As Su Mo extended his hand, he used the Da Kaiyang Scatterhand technique.

Given his current martial arts prowess, while he might not be the best in the world, there were certainly few in the southwestern region who could evade this grab.

However, he didn't expect that this low-ranking rogue, who used Wu Mi Powder, had such agile movements. Su Mo's grab narrowly missed, and the man immediately shifted his steps, heading for the window.

While running, he didn't forget to turn back and say, "No need, perhaps next time."

But when he turned, Su Mo was gone. Startled, he quickly turned again and saw a shoe sole coming toward him.

His body instantly went limp, collapsing like a boneless rag doll, yet he rolled like a spinning top, moving extremely fast to slip past Su Mo.

Who was Su Mo?

Having already witnessed this man's agility, how could he underestimate him?

That kick was merely a feint; the real move was the Da Kaiyang Scatterhand, which aimed not at the man himself but at the back of his neck.

Seizing the opportunity, Su Mo grabbed the back of the man's collar.

The man tried to use the Golden Cicada Escape, lifting his arms as he did so.

Su Mo laughed and tripped him with his foot. The man couldn't complete the escape and fell to the ground, rolling around.

In an instant, silver bills and jewels scattered everywhere.

Holding the man by the collar, Su Mo prevented him from removing his nightclothes. Instead, he took advantage of the man's half-undressed state, shook the clothes to bind his arms, and then wrapped them around his ankles in a figure-eight pattern before securing the loose end over his head.

Now thoroughly restrained, the man's feet dangled off the ground, his hands trapped in the clothes, and his head covered, leaving him to sway helplessly on the floor.

Su Mo casually pressed a point on his body, but as his fingertips landed, he paused slightly. "Impressive skills."

"Heh heh... Not bad, not bad," the man responded humbly.

Su Mo smiled and slapped the man's back.

What kind of strength did Su Mo possess?

The force was so powerful that it nearly shattered the man's bones, and the energy gathered around him dissipated instantly.

Taking advantage of this, Su Mo successfully immobilized the man.

"Your lightness skill is remarkable, and you even know the art of closing acupoints. May I ask who you are?"

Su Mo pulled over a chair and sat down, looking down at the man.

Realizing he was completely defeated, the man sighed and burst into tears. "Head of the Su Security Bureau, please spare my life! I'm truly desperate, which is why I resorted to this. Think of my eighty-year-old mother and my hungry children. Treat me like a fart and let me go! I swear, I swear... I will never do it again!!!"

Su Mo's expression darkened. He grabbed the man's clothes and tore them off with a flick of his wrist.

Now free from the restraint, the man instinctively tried to get up.

But as he tried to circulate his internal energy, he found it empty, remembering that Su Mo had already disabled his acupoints.

Looking up at Su Mo with a pitiful gaze, he saw only cold, stern eyes.

His heart tightened, and he dared not speak further.

Su Mo spoke calmly, "Your lightness skill is extraordinary, and your methods far surpass those of ordinary thieves. I wonder what I've done to deserve such a midnight visit to my room? It's often said that every profession has its experts, and even lock-pickers have their own ancestors and rules.

"But what should be done when one is caught in the act?"

"This..."

The man was speechless.

"You carry Wu Mi Powder and have mastered the art of lock-picking, indicating that you're no novice.

"You were quite bold at my bedside, saying things others wouldn't dare. Now, why are you silent?"

"I... I was outmatched and have nothing to say."

"No more pity talk?"

Su Mo smiled. "Very well. Choosing the wrong path in the martial world, I won't waste words on you. Without delving into your background, today I will sever your index and middle fingers on both hands, ending your lock-picking career. Do you accept this?"

"What?"

The man looked up at Su Mo, hoping to find any hint of jest in his eyes, but all he saw was cold determination.

"No... Chief Su, I was wrong, truly wrong."

The man kept saying, "Killing someone is just a matter of nodding one's head, but you breaking my four fingers, how will I make a living in the future?"

"You have your martial arts skills; where can't you earn a living?"

Su Mo squatted in front of him, reaching out to pinch one of his fingers: "Are you ready?"

As he spoke, he was about to snap it.

"I don't even know who asked me to steal from you!"

The man blurted out these words suddenly.

Su Mo paused for a moment, then smiled lightly: "Do you think I would believe you?"

"Every word I say is true!"

The man said hurriedly: "Indeed, each line of work has its own rules. I have my own ways to make a living. The person who commissioned me found me through my channels. They didn't reveal their identity, and I couldn't force them to. After all, our line of work is always in the shadows..."

There was some truth to this.

Su Mo nodded: "Then what were you supposed to do after stealing the items?"

"This..."

The man hesitated for a moment before saying: "Three miles west of the riverside dock, there is a grove of banyan trees, with three old banyans in the center. The person who commissioned me told me that after I succeeded, the silver notes and jewels would be mine, but I had to place the Love Scroll in the hollow of the middle tree. They would send someone to retrieve it later."

Su Mo's eyes narrowed slightly: "Since you're in this line of work, you would naturally check the delivery spot beforehand to see if it's real. So, there really are three old banyan trees there? And the middle one really has a hollow?"

"Yes."

The man nodded.

"Good."

Su Mo smiled and said: "In that case..."

As he spoke, he flicked his finger, sending a gust of wind that struck the wall.

The wall trembled slightly, but not violently.

Just as the man was wondering what Su Mo was doing, he heard hurried footsteps approaching. Moments later, the door was pushed open, and Yang Xiaoyun entered the room with her spear, her gaze sweeping over and immediately spotting the thief.

"Hmm?"

Yang Xiaoyun raised an eyebrow: "Is there a thief here?"

Su Mo smiled and casually pointed at the thief, who instantly fainted.

Yang Xiaoyun understood immediately that Su Mo had something to say, so she closed the door.

Su Mo recounted everything that had happened.

Yang Xiaoyun's face darkened: "Is there something wrong with this escort job?"

Only the four of them knew about Li Siyun's visit to entrust the escort. Even the staff in the escort agency and the guards didn't know the details.

Why would someone go to such lengths, even sending a thief?

"It's too early to draw conclusions now."

Su Mo said:

"Sister Xiaoyun, get Xiaochuan to come over later. Have him wear my clothes, carry the sword case, and set off with you tomorrow to return to Sunset City.

"I'll disguise myself as this man to investigate and see what's going on.

"Whether it's someone acting on greed or if this Love Scroll really has more to it."

"Alright."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded, not suggesting that she go with Su Mo.

In this situation, following him rashly wouldn't help; it would only be a burden.

Especially given the recent incident with the Heavenly Gate Escort Agency, if there was indeed something wrong with the escort and they didn't know what it was, it would be like dancing on the edge of a blade.

And since this escort was for Yang Yizhi, they had to be extra cautious.

Thinking of this, she looked at Su Mo: "Be extremely careful."

"Don't worry."

With that settled, Yang Xiaoyun immediately called for Xiaochuan.

Su Mo gave his clothes to Xiaochuan and stripped the thief naked, putting on the thief's clothes himself.

Finally, he dressed the thief in Xiaochuan's clothes.

"Tomorrow, find someone to ride with him to avoid any slip-ups."

Xiaochuan nodded immediately.

Su Mo then gathered the items on the ground, repacking them into the box, except for the Love Scroll, which he kept close to his body.

After sending Yang Xiaoyun back to her room, he leaped out of the inn.

At this moment, dressed in white and masked, he felt a bit like a thief himself.

Looking out, the snow was white as far as the eye could see, and he suddenly understood why the little thief was dressed in a white night suit.

In the thick of the night, black clothing was naturally the sensible choice.

But in this icy and snowy landscape, where everything was draped in silver, wearing all black would make one stand out like a louse on a bald head.

Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought and leaped straight toward the western side of the riverbank.

A distance of three li, with his divine agility, was covered in the blink of an eye.

Lifting his gaze, he indeed saw a grove of banyan trees.

He did not rashly enter, remembering the old saying in the martial world: "Do not enter the forest."

Of course, this did not mean that if you encountered a forest while walking, you should never enter it.

In reality, it meant that when pursuing or being pursued by an enemy, if the other party entered the forest, one must be cautious and not recklessly step into it.

The forest was dense and visibility poor, making it likely for the enemy to hide and wait for an ambush.

Su Mo's hesitation to enter was also due to this concern.

The mastermind behind this was unknown, and the purpose of having someone steal the Love Scroll remained a mystery.

There was also doubt about whether the transaction would be completed as agreed.

Thus, Su Mo was wary of a possible ambush, not for himself, but for the original little thief.

After listening carefully for a moment and confirming that there was no one in the forest, Su Mo stepped inside.

The grove was not too large, and he quickly reached its center.

Sure enough, there were three old banyan trees here, and in the middle tree, there was a hollow. The hollow was not small, and Su Mo approached it to peer inside.

To his surprise, there was a small package inside.

Picking it up and weighing it slightly, he found it to be quite heavy, with the sound of clinking silver coins.

Su Mo paused, then laughed:

"An unexpected bonus."