Chapter 152: Capturing the Tiger

Chapter 152: Capturing the Tiger

"Brother Feng?"

Su Mo was somewhat surprised, not expecting to see Feng Baichuan here: "Why are you here?"

"Earlier..."

Feng Baichuan spoke coldly, but after uttering just two words, he suddenly turned his blade. One of the Huai Mountain Five Tigers was trying to sneak away and, seeing the sharp edge coming, quickly sidestepped.

But it was too late. A flash of blood appeared, and an arm flew off.

Taking advantage of this moment, another one leaped out of the teahouse.

Su Mo's eyes flickered, and he gently held back Yang Xiaoyun, who was about to intercept.

Yang Xiaoyun was taken aback, then heard a scream.

The person who had just leaped out came flying back even faster, landing with a frosty look on his face, trembling uncontrollably.

Footsteps approached, and a voice sneered:

"Trying to run in front of me? You must be blind!"

As he spoke, he stepped into the teahouse, looking around with a haughty gaze.

Yet no one thought his arrogance was out of place.

The Huai Mountain Five Tigers were notorious and feared far and wide.

Anyone who could make them flee at the sight of him had every right to be arrogant.

But in the next moment, the man who had been so arrogant suddenly looked as if he had seen something terribly dangerous.

His arrogance vanished, and he shivered, instinctively shrinking back, his eyes filled with fear and a hint of pleading:

"You... You're here?"

He was looking at Su Mo.

Seeing this, everyone in the teahouse drew a sharp breath.

Who was this formidable leader?

And why was he also the chief of the escort company?

Su Mo watched the man with interest. It was none other than Fu Hanyuan!

"Chief Su!?"

Suddenly, another voice came from outside the teahouse, followed by quick footsteps. A middle-aged man with a steady demeanor burst in, holding two purple-gold concave flails.

At that moment, his face was full of joy: "Chief Su, it's been a month since we last met, and you still look as impressive as ever!"

"Leader Liu."

This time, Su Mo was not surprised. He stood up with Yang Xiaoyun and bowed to Liu Mo:

"What's going on here?

"And where did these Huai Mountain Five Tigers come from?"

"This is a long story, but I'll explain later."

Liu Mo smiled:

"We've been chasing these Huai Mountain Five Tigers for over half a month, all the way from Minyue Mountain. These people are cunning, and Scarface Tiger is not only skilled in martial arts but also uses a deadly poison. It's been difficult to capture them.

"But we didn't expect to meet Chief Su here. This can be considered their good fortune.

"These Huai Mountain Five Tigers have committed countless atrocities. Please, Chief Su, lend us a hand to capture them."

"It's my duty."

Su Mo smiled. Regardless of their past connection, even without it, he had no intention of letting them go after the scar-faced man tried to poison them with a hidden needle.

Feng Baichuan nodded coldly, his gaze sweeping over the remaining three of the Huai Mountain Five Tigers.

The scar-faced man's face turned pale, staring intently at Su Mo, Feng Baichuan, and Liu Mo, then glancing back at the white-robed gentleman who was removing the poison from the knife fighter:

"You... You won't leave us alone, it's sheer bullying!!"

Fu Hanyuan curled his lip, wanting to say something, but seeing that Su Mo hadn't spoken, he dared not open his mouth.

"You seem to enjoy shifting the blame."

Liu Mo shook his head: "Your methods are ruthless. You move between the various factions in East City, killing anyone who sees you. We investigated everything about you before seeking you out.

"Thirteen years ago, the Xu family in Hanting Town was wiped out in a single night, all at your hands.

"Seventy-six members of the Xu family, not a single survivor, not even a dog or a chicken left alive.

"Ten years ago, a female disciple of Songtao Sword Pavilion was returning home to visit her family. She saw you committing evil deeds and tried to stop you with her sword.

"Unfortunately, she was no match for you. After being captured, she was tortured for seven days and seven nights."

"Ultimately, the corpse was thrown into the female disciple's home, with the four large characters 'Do Not Meddle' forcibly sewn onto the girl’s back.

"Her family sought help from Songtao Sword Pavilion, which dispatched its elite disciples to search for you, but they were all killed by you.

"Worse still, Songtao Sword Pavilion’s senior disciple Qi Hua was flayed alive by you, and his skin was hung on the boundary stone between Songtao Sword Pavilion and Qixia Sect.

"This act provoked the righteous anger of both sects, leading to a six-year-long manhunt.

"It wasn’t until the old master of Songtao Sword Pavilion encountered an attack by experts from Evernight Valley and died in the battle that Songtao Sword Pavilion, preoccupied with its own affairs, reluctantly gave up the pursuit.

"However, even so, none of you dared to show your faces in the territories of Qixia Sect or Songtao Sword Pavilion.

"After this incident, you became even more cautious, never staying in one place in East City for more than half a year.

"You have been living in fear, carefully evading, and surviving to this day.

"But despite that, the lives you’ve taken amount to a mountain of blood debts.

"Now you accuse us of being too harsh, which is truly baseless!"

Liu Mo, who had always been taciturn, now spoke fluently, much to Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun’s surprise.

The people sitting in the teahouse, hearing him directly condemn the Huai Mountain Five Tigers for their misdeeds, felt a heavy weight in their hearts.

The Huai Mountain Five Tigers were ruthless, and few of those they encountered survived.

While their deeds were not unknown, no one could do anything about it.

Those who could do something couldn’t catch them, and those who could catch them didn’t have the time.

In short, these five had been rampant in East City for over a decade, becoming increasingly notorious and arrogant.

"Very well!"

A voice rang out, belonging to the white-robed young master.

He raised his eyes, his face full of anger: "Huai Mountain Five Tigers, I thought you were some important figures, but you turn out to be nothing but evil-doers. It makes sense; how could good people casually administer such a deadly poison as Corpse Decay Bone Rot?

"Given this, I can’t let you leave here easily."

As he said this, he secretly stuffed a bun into his mouth, his brows furrowed in righteous indignation, but his cheeks bulging comically.

"Hmph, whose child is this, boasting here? Are there no adults at home?"

The scar-faced man’s eyes darted around, and suddenly his palm trembled, releasing a flurry of hidden weapons in a shower of flowers, aimed at Liu Mo and Feng Baichuan.

At the same time, he waved his other hand, sending a cloud of hidden poison flying toward the ordinary guests in the teahouse.

One move to hold back Liu Mo and Feng Baichuan, the other to poison the guests, further delaying their pursuit.

Then, his figure flickered, and he lunged toward the exit of the teahouse.

His plan was clear, with no intention of helping his brothers.

His figure flashed, and he was already outside the teahouse, about to take off running, when he looked up to see someone standing right in front of him.

Startled, he exclaimed, "You!?"

Standing before him was none other than Su Mo.

He wore a deer leather glove on his hand and casually flicked it, saying, "Here, take it back."

"What?"

The scar-faced man’s face changed dramatically.

He assumed that what Su Mo had flicked was the deadly poison he had just scattered among the guests.

Though he didn’t know how it ended up in Su Mo’s hand, he certainly didn’t dare to take it head-on.

Without hesitation, he turned and rushed back into the teahouse, scanning the area to confirm that no one had been poisoned.

His mind raced, but his feet didn’t stop for a moment, and he immediately ran in another direction.

Suddenly, he felt something touch his shoulder...

Startled, he looked up to see a large, fat man standing in front of him.

Enraged, he shouted, "Fatso, get out of my way!!!"

With a quick thought, he shrugged his shoulder.

This move seemed simple but required extremely precise force. It could easily toss a boulder weighing hundreds of pounds.

But this time, the force seemed to vanish into thin air.

He looked up to see the fat man’s fierce face, who angrily shouted,

"You dare call me a fatso!"

Reaching out, his massive hand, like a club, descended from above.

The scar-faced man’s heart tightened, but with Su Mo and the poison behind him, the white-robed young master to his left, and Feng Baichuan and the others to his right, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and meet the blow head-on, hoping for a miracle.

A loud bang echoed through the air.

The scar-faced man’s entire body trembled, his arm shattering into pieces on the spot. Yet another force pierced him from top to bottom, leaving him standing stiffly like a nail.

Half of his body was embedded in the ground.

He was utterly stunned.

He had anticipated that this large, fat man would be difficult to deal with, but he never imagined it would be to this extent.

Before he could recover, he saw the large, fat man suddenly reach out and grab his head.

With a casual tug, he pulled him out of the ground as if he were pulling a carrot.

A simple smile appeared on the large, fat man’s face as he asked Su Mo:

"Boss, what should we do with him?"

The term 'Boss' left Feng Baichuan and the others a bit confused, wondering when Chief Su had joined a bandit gang.

The corner of Su Mo’s mouth twitched, and he could only say, "Restrain him, make sure he doesn’t move."

"Sure thing!!"

Zhen Xiaoxiao responded, casually throwing the scar-faced man to the ground.

Although one of the scar-faced man’s arms was completely broken, his other arm remained intact. He immediately reached into his chest, planning to make another move.

However, the next moment, he saw a shadow flash before his eyes, and the large, fat man descended from the air.

He sat directly on top of him.

His hand, still hidden in his chest, couldn’t be pulled out in time, and he heard several cracking sounds.

The immense force from above crushed not only his arm but also several of his ribs.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, wishing he could die right away:

"A scholar can be killed, but not humiliated..."

He used his last bit of strength to voice his protest.

"Shut up!"

Zhen Xiaoxiao brandished the single-legged copper man in her hand, the sound of the wind whistling through the air. She glared down at him angrily, "If you say another word, I’ll smash this thing into your face."

"..."

The scar-faced man promptly shut up.

Su Mo then bowed to the young man in white: "Thank you for your help just now."

"Not at all."

The young man in white quickly returned the bow, "It’s my duty. As martial artists, we cannot stand by and let them bully the weak."

Their conversation was prompted by the fact that it wasn’t Su Mo who had collected the poison thrown by the scar-faced man at the guests.

It was the young man in white.

No one knew his background, but his martial arts skills were extraordinary.

When the scar-faced man threw his hidden weapon, releasing the poison, he intended to escape in the chaos.

Su Mo was about to strike to disperse the poison, but before he could act, the young man in white extended his palm, and all the floating poison instantly fell into his hand.

Seeing this, Su Mo quietly put on his deer-skin gloves before stepping out to deal with the situation, giving Zhen Xiaoxiao a chance to stretch her legs.

Now, everyone gathered around, looking at the scar-faced man’s face covered in blood, which added to the scene’s grimness.

Liu Mo looked at Zhen Xiaoxiao in surprise and said to Su Mo:

"Where did Chief Yang find such a formidable warrior? What a brave man!"

"… Leader Liu, don’t speak nonsense."

Yang Xiaoyun quickly interjected, "She’s a girl."

"…"

Liu Mo was speechless, and Fu Hanyuan’s eyes widened as he examined her closely, noticing a hint of delicacy in her features.

Even Feng Baichuan, who usually kept a cold expression, raised an eyebrow.

But he didn’t stare for long; it would be impolite to keep staring at a lady. He casually waved his single-edged saber, pointing it at the scar-faced man on the ground:

"Speak."

The scar-faced man, pressed down and struggling to breathe, glanced at Feng Baichuan and then at the single-legged copper man set aside by Zhen Xiaoxiao, clenching his teeth tightly.

Feng Baichuan frowned:

"If he doesn’t speak, kill him."

"Hold it!"

Liu Mo and Fu Hanyuan spoke in unison.

Feng Baichuan’s saber, halfway through its swing, stopped, and he looked at Liu Mo and Fu Hanyuan with a cold, stern gaze.

Fu Hanyuan's lips twitched. "What are you talking about? You want to kill someone already? Each and every one of you from the Heavenly Blade Sect is as stubborn as a wooden knot."

Liu Mo couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. "Brother Feng, don't be so hasty. We haven't even started questioning him yet. Why would we need to kill him?"

"Besides... with Chief Su here, no matter what we ask, I don't believe he won't talk."

Feng Baichuan thought for a moment and coldly sheathed his blade.

The white-robed young master watched coldly from the side, feeling that Feng Baichuan's killing intent seemed even more ruthless than the scar-faced man.

Moreover, his posture suggested that he was ready to pounce and attack at any moment.

Su Mo glanced at Zhen Xiaoxiao. "Xiaoxiao, get up quickly. It's not proper for a young lady to sit on a man like this."

"Huh?"

Zhen Xiaoxiao was taken aback, seemingly unable to understand the connection between being a young lady and sitting on a man.

But since the leader had spoken, she naturally couldn't ignore it.

She immediately got up and stood to the side, holding the one-legged bronze man.

When a person tries to stand up from sitting, they inevitably need to use some extra strength.

This sudden movement made the scar-faced man feel as if he had been to the gates of hell several times.

He finally managed to catch his breath, but fresh blood surged up again.

Liu Mo came over, pressed his acupoints, and after a brief examination, nodded.

He said to Su Mo, "Thank you, Chief Su."

"You're welcome."

Su Mo waved his hand. "It seems you're not just chasing them because they've committed countless crimes?"

"That's right."

Liu Mo glanced around the teahouse and whispered, "This isn't the place to talk. Let's find somewhere else."

Su Mo's heart stirred, and he nodded lightly.

He knew that Feng Baichuan and Liu Mo must have come to East City because of the Endless Blade Tong Yun. When they left the Heavenly Blade Sect, they were heading to the Yuejiang Pavilion to investigate the history of the seventh-generation ancestor of the Heavenly Blade Sect.

If there was another motive behind chasing the Huai Mountain Five Tigers, it must be related to this.

According to Li Siyun, the Golden Jade Cone and the Mandarin Ducks Scroll were actually connected to the same matter.

Su Mo had originally only been an observer in this affair involving the Heavenly Blade Sect.

He wasn't particularly concerned about it.

But now that the Mandarin Ducks Scroll involved Yang Yizhi, Li Siyun, and possibly even his long-lost father, he couldn't just let it go.

He paid the bill and then joined the others, bowing to the white-robed young master in farewell.

Neither side had much to say; they were merely passing acquaintances in the world of martial arts, and deep conversations would be inappropriate.

The white-robed young master watched them leave and then turned back to the knife-wielder.

"It's about time."

As he spoke, he curled his fingers, and the needles on the knife-wielder's back flew into his palm.

"Take the Jade Luo Pill."

The white-robed young master said, taking another bun and stuffing it into his mouth, though he was already quite full.

Looking at the half-full basket of buns and the untouched one beside it, he hesitated for a moment.

Seeing that Su Mo's bowl and plate were clean, he couldn't help but admire, "A true martial arts master, unfathomable."

"..."

The four girls looked at each other, unsure whether to agree or disagree.

...

...

In the dense forest, the frozen ground was hard.

Liu Mo casually threw the scar-faced man to the ground, along with the remaining members of the Huai Mountain Five Tigers, one of whom had lost an arm to Feng Baichuan.

These five men were truly unfortunate. Despite their extensive experience in fleeing, they hadn't been caught by Feng Baichuan and the others for many days.

But they happened to encounter Su Mo and the white-robed young master.

And worse still, they provoked them.

Their attempt to poison failed, and one of their own died from the poison.

When Feng Baichuan arrived, he didn't hesitate and killed another one.

The last one, who had been hit by Fu Hanyuan's Frost True Qi, initially didn't take it seriously, but now he too was dead.

In an instant, the Five Tigers of Huai Mountain were reduced to two, and they were barely alive.