Chapter 160: The Origin and Development

Chapter 160: The Origin and Development

"Who’s there?"

Yang Xiaoyun’s pupils constricted as she looked at Yu Lingxin.

Although this woman was merely standing there, her figure seemed to blend seamlessly with the rocks beneath her feet and the trees behind her.

It was as if she could vanish into them at any moment, leaving no trace.

At the same time, her cold eyes harbored an extremely deep-seated killing intent.

This intent was not directed at them but was a profound accumulation, as if her life and her years were enveloped by it.

It remained contained, like water in a deep well.

But if it erupted, it would surely cause a storm.

Yu Lingxin glanced at Yang Xiaoyun, raised an eyebrow lightly, and sat down, exhaling softly:

"My name is Yu Lingxin."

She did not hide her name from Yang Xiaoyun, even though, in her view, her name was a kind of taboo.

For some people, it was a death warrant.

But she did not hide it from Yang Xiaoyun.

Not only because of some indescribable entanglements, but also because Su Mo already knew.

Even if she didn’t say it, Su Mo would still tell her with a crooked smile.

"Yu Lingxin?"

Yang Xiaoyun was taken aback: "Cloudy Mountain, Blue Wind Valley... you have the surname Yu?"

The corners of Yu Lingxin’s mouth curled up slightly, forming a rather cold and stern smile.

Seeming to feel that the smile was inappropriate, she subconsciously rubbed her face and looked at Su Mo:

"You came with him? You should know that if I shouted now, you wouldn’t be able to hide."

"If you wanted to shout, you would have done so already. Why wait until now?"

Su Mo smiled and said: "Since you didn’t shout, can we talk?"

"..."

Yu Lingxin shook her head lightly: "What do you want to talk about?"

"About here, about him."

"He wouldn’t like it if someone talked about him behind his back."

"Then let’s talk about here."

Su Mo said calmly: "You... went to Jade Willow Villa?"

As he said this, his eyes turned cold and serious.

Yu Lingxin looked at him with a slight surprise and suddenly smiled:

"They say you’re different from your father, but it seems you’re still the same... We didn’t go to Jade Willow Villa.

"On that day, Liu Suifeng wanted to kill to silence, but you stopped him. So, of course, we wouldn’t make your words meaningless.

"Besides, why take maps so seriously?"

These words clarified many of Su Mo’s doubts.

Just as Li Siyun had said, the map, the golden jade cone, and the mandarin duck scroll.

Only when all three were combined could the secret treasure be opened.

The Three Absolutes Sect only knew the whereabouts of the mandarin duck scroll and would not go to such lengths to obtain the golden jade cone from the Heavenly Blade Sect.

They did so because they not only obtained the mandarin duck scroll but also that map.

But if that map was indeed hidden in Jade Willow Villa, the Three Absolutes Sect would have to kill Liu Suifeng to get it, which would be too difficult.

Considering the location of the Yu family’s old grounds and the information that the Qilin Swordsman had seen the map,

Su Mo concluded that the map was fake.

From the beginning, this matter was a conspiracy between Yang Yizhi and Yu Lingxin.

Yu Lingxin and the Qilin Swordsman used some means to hand a fake map to the Three Absolutes Sect.

In the end, they lured the Three Absolutes Sect to Blue Wind Valley, the old grounds of the Yu family.

For this, the Three Absolutes Sect specifically visited the Heavenly Blade Sect, initiating a long-planned scheme to obtain the golden jade cone.

They then found Li Siyun, intending to get the mandarin duck scroll.

But things went awry here.

The mandarin duck scroll fell into Su Mo’s hands and eventually ended up with Yang Yizhi.

Yang Yizhi deliberately lost the mandarin duck scroll and followed Liuyun to Blue Wind Valley, partly to capture Liuyun and partly, perhaps, to deal with the Three Absolutes Sect!

This was the true purpose behind Yang Yizhi's elaborate scheme.

When Su Mo saw the Qilin Swordsman and followed him all the way here, he had already begun to suspect.

He thought that verifying his suspicions would at least have to wait until the people from the Three Absolutes Sect made their grand entrance.

But he never expected that Yu Lingxin, with her divine and unpredictable stealth, could directly deceive Su Mo's senses and appear by their side.

And she told them the truth.

However, another point in Yu Lingxin's words also surprised Su Mo.

For a moment, his expression was complex: "You know my father too?"

"Follow me."

Yu Lingxin leaped off the rock: "Further ahead is where the Fallen Phoenix Alliance has set up their hidden sentries. Although you've probably already noticed, rushing in recklessly won't get you any useful information."

Su Mo raised an eyebrow, watching as Yu Lingxin disappeared into the forest, then glanced at Yang Xiaoyun.

Yang Xiaoyun nodded lightly.

Only then did Su Mo lead Yang Xiaoyun and Zhen Xiaoxiao into the forest.

As for why he didn't ask Zhen Xiaoxiao for her opinion... in fact, apart from eating, this girl had no opinion on anything.

Yu Lingxin knew the terrain around here like the back of her hand.

After a few twists and turns, they heard the roar of water, and found themselves at a waterfall.

The winter waterfall was particularly cold, but Yu Lingxin directly passed through it and entered a cave inside.

Su Mo and the others followed closely behind.

However, during the process, he kept Yang Xiaoyun and Zhen Xiaoxiao behind him.

His body was now invulnerable, and although he hadn't tested the limits of this invulnerability, he wasn't worried about ordinary ambushes or sneak attacks.

Although Yu Lingxin didn't seem to have any ill intentions, he couldn't be too cautious.

Of course, Yu Lingxin indeed had no intention of ambushing him. After entering the cave, she simply found a place to sit, used her inner energy to dispel the cold from her body, and dried her clothes.

Su Mo, meanwhile, surveyed the surroundings, noticing signs of human habitation.

Stone tables, stone beds, wooden basins, wooden bowls, and even a small bookshelf nearby.

The books on the shelf seemed to have been recently organized and were surprisingly clean.

"When I was young, my brother and I discovered this place," Yu Lingxin said with a smile. "It was our secret hideout.

"The Yu family has very strict rules, and Father had extremely high expectations for us. So, if we made even the slightest mistake, we would be scolded or beaten.

"At those times, my brother and I would secretly hide here to cry and keep each other warm.

"We always thought Father didn't know.

"But it turned out he had known all along.

"These stone beds and tables were left by him... his childhood experiences were exactly the same as ours.

"Later, Mother would secretly watch him clumsily carve wood, making small basins and bowls, and he would focus intently on building a bookshelf...

"His martial arts were so strong that anyone who looked at him for even a moment would be sensed by him.

"But my brother and I, along with Mother, watched him for a full half-hour, and he didn't notice at all, completely absorbed in these little trinkets.

"That's when we realized that while the Yu family's rules were strict, Father... well..."

At this point, Yu Lingxin waved her hand.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this.

"But when the Yu family faced a great calamity, my brother and I happened to be here, secretly practicing.

"We planned to secretly memorize the fifth level of the 'Jade Soul Killing Technique' and surprise Father on his birthday.

"But we memorized the technique, and the person who should have heard it was gone."

She glanced at Su Mo: "You asked if I knew your father... I do. After the great calamity befell the Yu family, even from here, we could see the flames at home and hear the cries of battle spreading in all directions. Mother found us and told us not to leave this place under any circumstances, then went alone to draw away the pursuers.

"When we saw outsiders again... it was your father and..."

She paused, looking at Yang Xiaoyun: "Yang Yizhi."

Yang Xiaoyun let out a light breath.

Although the answer was already clear, hearing it from Yu Lingxin's own mouth felt different.

"What... what are they planning to do?"

Yang Xiaoyun couldn't help but ask.

Yu Lingxin looked at her calmly: "I don't know."

"Hmm?"

Yang Xiaoyun was taken aback.

Only then did Yu Lingxin say, "They were acquainted with my father, especially... Uncle Su. When I was little, I would occasionally see him visit Father, but he never let me know what they talked about.

"Even before that, I didn’t even know their names.

"It wasn’t until the Yu family faced a great calamity that they found my brother and me.

"Then, Uncle Su took me to learn martial arts from a master.

"Uncle Yang took my brother away.

"You’ve met him, Qilin.

"For the next dozen years, I devoted myself to practicing martial arts. The news of Uncle Su’s death... I only heard from my master.

"But I didn’t know he ran an escort agency until recently, which is why I didn’t recognize you when we first met."

She smiled at Su Mo as she said this: "It wasn’t until recently, after meeting Yang Yizhi, that I learned some things."

Having said this much, she paused.

Su Mo hesitated for a moment, then looked at her, "Recently? When exactly?"

"In Profound Theory Valley, Chief Escort Su Mo shattered the Youquan Cult’s twenty-year plot.

"At that time, he was there and met Qilin.

"Oh, and one more thing, you don’t need to worry about Old Man Ten Grievances anymore.

"He kept saying he wanted to take revenge on you, but how could he listen to that?

"He was directly crushed to death.

"Even if he hadn’t been crushed, I reckon that old man wouldn’t have been your match..."

Yu Lingxin sighed as she said this: "It’s a pity, I actually had some use for Old Man Ten Grievances, but it doesn’t matter. Later, he brought Wu Daoyou to East City, mainly to meet me."

"…The timing doesn’t add up."

Su Mo suddenly spoke up.

"Hmm?"

Yu Lingxin glanced at Su Mo, a smile playing on her lips, "What timing are you referring to?"

Su Mo exhaled softly:

"The incident with the Golden Jade Cone has far-reaching implications. Tracing back, it all started when Ji Wanli of Tianmen Escort Agency accepted that escort job.

"Even if he rode day and night, it would still take over a month to deliver the goods to Heavenly Blade Sect.

"And it wasn’t until he returned to the escort agency that he was killed.

"Based on the timeline, when I returned from Profound Theory Valley, he should have already been on his way back to Sunset City...

"In other words, this matter had already begun by then."

Su Mo looked at Yu Lingxin as he said this, "At that time, Swordsman Qilin hadn’t seen that map yet, let alone... Uncle Yang, right?"

"That’s correct."

Yu Lingxin gazed deeply at Su Mo, "At that time, I had already begun planning to deal with them. When you first broke into my trap, my goal was never to kill a few of their people out of anger.

"The most critical part of that battle was actually in the tree."

"In the tree?"

Su Mo was taken aback, his mind subconsciously replaying the events of that day.

He had accepted the escort job at the edge of the forest, killing a disciple of Old Man Ten Grievances, the black-clothed knife fighter.

Afterward, he pretended to leave but secretly returned and saw four people.

One of them was killed by Yu Lingxin at a roadside tavern.

Another was killed by Su Mo himself outside the Falling Petals Pavilion in the Peach Blossom Forest.

Thus, he delivered the item to 'Wang Xianglin,' who was actually Yu Lingxin.

But two people were still unaccounted for.

The main reason Su Mo followed Yu Lingxin that night was his concern that there might be more to come.

But he didn’t expect that one of the remaining two had gone to report.

This led to the arrival of the black-clothed men, resulting in the battle by the lake.

At that time, Su Mo had just obtained the Seven Injuries Fist and, combined with the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, he shattered the leading black-clothed man into pieces.

To Su Mo, that was the end of the matter.

Now, after going through the entire sequence of events and with Yu Lingxin’s reminder, Su Mo suddenly realized:

"That woman?"

To this day, Su Mo was still unsure of that person’s name.

"Hu Piaopiao."

Yu Lingxin nodded: "The Three Absolutes Sect has been deeply hidden. After reuniting with my brother, I began to plan. However, the first step was the hardest, the key being how to find their trail.

"Fortunately, I knew that these people were always running around for the Profound Theory Knot.

"So I decided to use it as bait.

"The person who handed you the Profound Theory Knot wasn't exactly a good person. I just used him to bring Hu Piaopiao and the others to see me 'naturally.'

"But I didn't expect him to be no match for Hu Piaopiao and her three companions, nearly ruining everything. However, unexpectedly, I met you on the way.

"Although I sought revenge, Father taught my brother and me from a young age that one must have principles in life.

"To seek personal vengeance at the cost of innocent lives is not the way of a hero or a true man."

"Well said."

Yang Xiaoyun immediately nodded in agreement.

But Yu Lingxin sighed: "However, can things in this world of martial arts ever go as planned? Ji Wanli of the Tianmen Escort Agency ultimately died at home because of my scheme.

"Although it was the Three Absolutes Sect who sent him on that escort mission, the blame still falls on me.

"I only hope that Father won't blame me when we meet again..."

She paused, then continued: "That day, involving you in this plan was not my intention. I was worried that your martial skills and mental fortitude weren't enough to complete the task, so I killed that person in the teahouse before you could.

"But I underestimated you.

"In the Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, I intended to use the same trick, but there were too many of his subordinates around.

"Without dealing with them, it would have been impossible to proceed.

"But to my surprise, you had already killed him by then.

"That's when I realized you were more capable than I thought.

"At that point, the means I needed to reveal were sufficient.

"Ordinary people would find it hard to connect the dots and suspect someone seeking revenge, but... the Jade Soul Killing Technique is unparalleled, and they were already guilty, so they naturally suspected me.

"The two people who came to me that day, I let the man go for a reason, but kept the woman.

"The Three Absolutes Sect is unpredictable and ruthless. People like Hu Piaopiao are mere pawns, disposable at any time. Invoking the Three Absolutes Sect because of my existence naturally led to a bad end for her.

"So, her death was within my expectations.

"Hu Piaopiao hid in a tree, took a fake-death pill, and although she was in a state of apparent death, she could still hear everything around her.

"After hearing everything, she naturally turned against the Three Absolutes Sect."

"That's the crack you created in the Three Absolutes Sect!"

Su Mo lightly clapped his hands: "Your plan is indeed more intricate than I imagined. With Hu Piaopiao, I'm sure your understanding of them grows daily."

"Indeed."

Yu Lingxin nodded: "So, there was the Golden Jade Cone, the Mandarin Ducks Scroll, and the map. In the original plan, both the map and the Mandarin Ducks Scroll were to be forged by me.

"The Mandarin Ducks Scroll was meant to frame the Ten Grievances Elder.

"But the timing wasn't right, and he hadn't appeared yet, so he was a useful pawn.

"But I didn't expect... the Ten Grievances Elder to be crushed to death by Uncle Yang.

"I lost a valuable pawn, but gained something better.

"On that day outside Profound Theory Valley, Qilin betrayed me after a long separation...

"But this allowed him to fill in the gaps in my plan, smoothing out all the rough edges.

"Now, the Three Absolutes Sect has a fake map, a real Golden Jade Cone, and a real Mandarin Ducks Scroll.

"Soon, they will open the secret vault... and then all the leaders and members of the Three Absolutes Sect will die in that underground palace!!"

After saying all this, Yu Lingxin finally took a deep breath, the deep-seated hatred in her eyes still smoldering.

Until the Three Absolutes Sect was completely destroyed, how could she release the anger in her heart?

At this point, Su Mo and the others finally understood the entire story.

But there was one thing Su Mo still didn't understand. He looked at Yu Lingxin:

"Why are you telling us all this?"

"Because... I'm evil."