Chapter 162: Unexpected Complications

Chapter 162: Unexpected Complications

"How could it be him?"

Upon seeing Fu Hanyuan, Su Mo's brows immediately furrowed.

"Who is this guy?"

The Qilin Swordsman hurriedly asked.

"...Didn't your sister tell you?"

Su Mo's lips twitched: "I told your sister earlier that someone was here looking for Tong Yun, and he is one of them!"

"???"

The Qilin Swordsman was taken aback: "That doesn't make sense. No one has come to Blue Wind Valley in the past few days... I see, they must have met on the way."

Just as they were speaking, the head of the Renzi Sect cheerfully dragged Fu Hanyuan over.

"Oh, multi-purpose indeed!"

He looked at Fu Hanyuan with some surprise: "Old Di fled north, and you've been sleeping in the same bed every day.

"You've been eagerly planning to challenge the Heavenly Blade Sect.

"I heard you did quite well in that match, but I thought you had died in the Heavenly Blade Sect. I didn't expect to meet you again by chance.

"Big Brother Tian, where did you find this guy?"

Hearing this, the head of the Tianzi Sect inside the Paradise Pavilion paused briefly:

"...You talk too much."

"Yes, yes, yes."

The head of the Renzi Sect quickly nodded: "It just feels coincidental, you know. Old Di spent a lot of effort on this guy, saying he met a simple farmer who was very talented and fortunate. He wanted to become a martial arts expert... You, why don't you just stick to farming..."

As he spoke, a soft sigh came from inside the palanquin.

"Slap yourself."

One of the four palanquin bearers instantly vanished from his spot and reappeared in front of the head of the Renzi Sect.

Swinging a large hand, he slapped him hard.

The head of the Renzi Sect instinctively tried to step back to avoid it.

But a cold snort came from inside the Paradise Pavilion.

With just that sound, the head of the Renzi Sect dared not move and stood still obediently.

A 'slap' echoed through the air.

The palanquin bearer seemed to have some personal grudge, as the slap sent the head of the Renzi Sect spinning three times on the spot.

Blood spurted out, and several white objects fell to the ground.

They were teeth.

When he looked up again, the palanquin bearer had already disappeared, returning to the bottom of the Paradise Pavilion and lifting the palanquin once more.

"...Too harsh."

The head of the Renzi Sect muttered.

"Do you still want to talk?"

The voice of the head of the Tianzi Sect now carried a hint of coldness.

Though her voice was gender-neutral, the killing intent was unmistakable.

"Dare not, dare not."

The head of the Renzi Sect hurriedly said: "I'll take him to open the door right away."

With that, he grabbed Fu Hanyuan's leg and headed toward what should have been the entrance to the ancestral hall but was now the entrance to the 'secret treasury.'

He casually took out a golden jade awl from his pocket to give to Fu Hanyuan.

Fu Hanyuan snorted: "Don't even think about it."

"What kind of man are you pretending to be?"

The head of the Renzi Sect, now speaking with a lisp due to his swollen face and tight mask, continued: "If you were a real man, you would have died in the Heavenly Blade Sect. The people there are all cold-blooded killers. If you hadn't groveled, they wouldn't have spared your life.

"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll start by cutting off one of your fingers, then one of your toes.

"Alternating, until all your fingers and toes are gone.

"Then I'll cut off your limbs, inch by inch!

"Let me tell you, don't underestimate me... I've really done this before.

"The experience isn't pleasant.

"If you don't listen, don't blame me for not warning you."

"… You!"

Fu Hanyuan's face darkened, truly wanting to shout 'A man may be killed but not humiliated.'

But upon careful consideration of the methods of the Tianzi Sect’s leader, he indeed dared not shout.

He feared that this brute would really enforce the law as stated.

However, since he didn’t dare to shout ‘A man may be killed but not humiliated,’ Fu Hanyuan still had other things to say: "If you cut off all my fingers, how will I open the door?"

"…"

This sentence seemed to instantly stump the Tianzi Sect’s leader.

After some thought, he nodded in agreement: "You’re right, so let’s leave one hand uncut for now."

"…"

This wasn’t even human talk.

Fu Hanyuan tilted his head back and straightened his waist, even lying on the ground, he still managed to display a defiant stance, speaking loudly:

"Bring me the Jade Cone!"

"… I thought you were going to die rather than yield."

The Tianzi Sect’s leader rolled his eyes, feeling that this fellow had a bit of his old self’s spirit.

Only then did he hand over the Jade Cone.

Fu Hanyuan looked at the Jade Cone in his hand, speechless for a moment, and sighed softly:

"All this misfortune stems from this."

The Heavenly Frost True Qi was somewhat unexpected; it was a stroke of luck to have cultivated it successfully.

He had thought that with this martial arts skill, he could make a name for himself in the world and never have to return home to farm again.

Burning down the house was also a way to mark his resolve.

Although the house could be rebuilt, once the decision was made, he never wanted to look back.

But he never expected to fall into the trap set by the Sanjue Sect.

After years of hard work, he became a tool in someone else’s hands… At this moment, it was indeed a dual-purpose item.

He looked at the Jade Cone in his hand and asked:

"How do I use this thing?"

"You don’t know this?"

The Tianzi Sect’s leader pointed: "Do you see that door? We followed the map for a long time and finally found this place. Under the rubble, there is such a door.

"There’s a hole on the door. As a man, you should know what to do."

Fu Hanyuan suddenly understood, pondered for a moment, and then took the Jade Cone and approached the door, ready to insert it.

"Stop!"

The Tianzi Sect’s leader quickly shouted.

Fu Hanyuan turned around angrily. He had just made up his mind, and this sudden shout almost made him drop the Jade Cone.

When he turned around, he saw the Tianzi Sect’s leader, who seemed to have greased his feet, already running behind the Paradise Pavilion, using the Tianzi Sect’s leader as a shield, and peering out to say:

"It’s done, you can proceed!"

"…"

Even from such a distance, Su Mo could faintly hear the Tianzi Sect’s leader sitting atop the Paradise Pavilion, clenching his fists until they cracked.

The Qilin Swordsman was dumbfounded:

"The Sanjue Sect is extraordinary, indeed vast and accommodating. This person has managed to survive until now, which shows that the Sanjue Sect has its merits."

Su Mo shook his head lightly, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the Paradise Pavilion.

His internal skills were extraordinary, and earlier, he had sensed that there was more than one person in the Paradise Pavilion.

Sure enough, an additional person was Fu Hanyuan.

But at this moment, there was only the Deputy Palace Master of the Paradise Palace inside.

Liu Mo and the others acted, and Fu Hanyuan was captured alone?

If that were true, Su Mo would feel slightly relieved.

Although thinking this way seemed a bit unfair to Fu Hanyuan…

At this moment, Fu Hanyuan had already inserted the Jade Cone into the stone door.

After completing this task, Fu Hanyuan subconsciously looked around. Seeing no reaction, he breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the stone door showed no signs of opening. He immediately turned around and shouted angrily: "Can you let me go now?"

"… Don’t even think about it."

The Tianzi Sect’s leader peered out and said: "Now, hold the Jade Cone and turn it three times to the left."

"..."

Fu Hanyuan sighed. When one is under someone else’s roof, one has to bow one's head.

Initially, he had the mindset of an ordinary person and always submitted to these lofty martial artists.

Only after he acquired martial arts did his courage gradually grow.

Now, all his Heavenly Frost True Qi had been sealed by the demon on top of the Paradise Pavilion, and for a moment, it felt like he was back to the days when he had no martial arts.

Surrounded by wolves, his heart grew increasingly uneasy.

He gently grasped the golden jade cone and, following the instructions of the Tianzi Sect leader, turned it three times to the left.

Just as he stopped, he heard a voice in his ear: "Turn it three more times to the right."

"..."

Fu Hanyuan was so frightened that his hair almost stood on end: "Aren’t you afraid of dying?"

"How can that be!"

The Tianzi Sect leader spoke ambiguously: "Who do you think I am? How could I be a coward who fears death?"

Fu Hanyuan glanced back at the Paradise Pavilion and saw a sedan bearer looking regretfully at his palm.

Suddenly, it dawned on him: "You’re not afraid of dying; you’re afraid of getting beaten."

"Shut up."

The Tianzi Sect leader snorted: "Do as I say."

He then began to give detailed instructions, all of which were recorded in the Mandarin Duck Spectrum.

The technique was extremely intricate, sometimes turning left, sometimes right, sometimes pulling out the golden jade cone halfway, and sometimes pushing it all the way in.

As the steps progressed, both the Tianzi Sect leader and Fu Hanyuan became increasingly tense.

They both felt that if they made even the slightest mistake in the next step, it could lead to their destruction.

Everyone was on high alert.

Even the leader of the Tianzi Sect, sitting inside the Paradise Pavilion, leaned forward, trying to see clearly.

"The final step... turn it five times to the right, in one breath. According to the Mandarin Duck Spectrum, this is the critical point. If there is even the slightest error, we will both die here!"

"… Don’t scare me!"

Fu Hanyuan took a deep breath and turned the golden jade cone five times.

When the last turn was completed, his entire spirit was stretched to its limit.

However... nothing happened!

The stone door did not open. Looking back, he found that the Tianzi Sect leader had somehow hidden behind him, cowering.

"What now?"

At this point, whether the door opened or not didn’t matter much. Fu Hanyuan was mainly curious.

The Tianzi Sect leader was also puzzled, tilting his head to look: "Why don’t you push it?"

"Don’t joke! With such a complex mechanism, how can you be so casual..."

As he spoke, he casually tapped the stone door, intending to continue, but heard a click.

The stone door suddenly opened.

"Why hasn’t there been any movement yet?"

The Qilin Swordsman frowned at the moment the door opened: "If they go down, Fu Hanyuan will surely die."

"What’s down there?"

Su Mo asked.

"Thunderfire Bombs! A thousand of them!!"

Su Mo was stunned: "If I remember correctly, this is the old site of your Yu family’s ancestral hall, with all the Yu family’s cenotaphs below. Didn’t you just say that? Are you planning to send your ancestors and the Three Absolute Sects to heaven together with these thousand bombs?"

"Hmm?"

The Qilin Swordsman glanced at Su Mo and said matter-of-factly: "The Yu family would rather shatter like jade than survive as pottery!"

"..."

At a time like this, you’re still saying such things!?

But then, the Qilin Swordsman suddenly stood up.

"What are you going to do?"

Xiaoyun couldn’t help but ask.

"Save people."

The Qilin Swordsman put on a mask: "The Yu family seeks revenge without involving the innocent. Otherwise, how could I face our ancestors in the netherworld?"

Su Mo thought to himself that the Yu family’s ancestors were about to be blown sky-high.

Why didn't you think of joining them in the netherworld back then?

But upon reflection, he understood what the Qilin Swordsman meant.

Neither he nor Yu Lingxin ever wanted to involve others in their revenge.

This was something they had always adhered to.

The Yu clan could choose to shatter like jade rather than remain whole as pottery, but... this was their own clan!

They never thought of making others shatter like jade for their sake and take revenge for them!

This kind of stubbornness might sound laughable—considering the entire family was dead, yet still worrying about involving innocents.

However, in this world of martial arts, there were always people willing to pay unimaginable prices for what they believed was right.

For the sake of justice, they would face death a hundred times without regret!

Su Mo admitted he wasn't such a person; he couldn't achieve such noble sentiments.

But he couldn't help but admire them.

He smiled, "If that's the case, then..."

Just as he said this, he suddenly surveyed the entire forest.

A faint scent of blood began to spread, and he immediately looked at the Qilin Swordsman.

The Qilin Swordsman's expression relaxed, "It's started."

Su Mo understood.

The Three Absolute Sect had been plotting here, and the black-clad figures who had spread out in all directions had formed a circle.

Now, it was Yu Lingxin's people who began to silently clear them out.

What surprised Su Mo was whether this move was a bit premature.

Moreover, it wasn't just Yu Lingxin's people who were acting.

Suddenly, a figure leaped through the air.

In an instant, he arrived before the stone gate of the ancestral hall.

His timing was perfect; the stone gate was just opening, and the Tianzi Sect leader, the Renzi Sect leader, and everyone present were admiring the Yu clan's ancestral hall.

Their attention was completely drawn, allowing this person to infiltrate the stone gate in the blink of an eye.

Mid-air, his blade suddenly unsheathed.

In the next moment, it seemed as if water from the heavens was pouring down, and a storm of blade light descended from the sky!

Heavenly Gate Flying Blade—Three Thousand Blades Falling!!!

The sudden descent of the blade looked like three thousand blades falling from the sky. The Renzi Sect leader, taken aback, raised his palm like a blade.

In the next instant, continuous blade edges rose from his palm, using the same technique as the Three Thousand Blades Falling, but in reverse, from bottom to top.

The two sets of blade edges clashed in the air, intersecting hundreds of times.

Ultimately, the one above had the advantage, cutting down sharply, forcing the Renzi Sect leader to instinctively take two steps back.

These two steps, though seemingly ordinary, were now like a chasm.

The figure in mid-air landed, quickly tapping Fu Hanyuan several times with his fingers, then flipped his palm and struck Fu Hanyuan's dantian, sending a shock of internal energy. Fu Hanyuan let out a long cry and grabbed the shoulder of the person beside him:

"Go!!!"

The two of them leaped into the air, trying to escape.

The Renzi Sect leader sneered, "Do you take me for a decoration?"

From inside the sedan chair, the Tianzi Sect leader spoke softly:

"The main task is important."

"Yes."

The Renzi Sect leader said no more, waving his hand, "Go in!"

The black-clad figures around him followed him into the 'Secret Treasury.'

As for Fu Hanyuan and Ji Feiyang, they were intercepted by several black-clad figures in mid-air.

Cold stars dotted the air, almost blocking all their escape routes.

Fu Hanyuan laughed, his hands suddenly turning in front of him, making the already icy air even more bone-chilling.

The cold stars flying towards them were covered in frost, and Fu Hanyuan pushed his hands forward:

"Back to you!"

He was a master.

Though lacking in combat experience, his martial arts were superior to Feng Baichuan's.

Even Feng Ziheng would not have been stronger.

These ordinary disciples of the Three Absolute Sect, attempting to intercept him with mere concealed weapons, were clearly insufficient.

In an instant, half of the black-clothed interceptors were struck by these cold stars.

Worse still, the Heavenly Frost True Qi attached to the concealed weapons immediately spread through the meridians upon breaking the skin.

Those hit by the concealed weapons instantly stiffened, unable to move.

Then came the sound of swords being drawn, and in a crisscrossing pattern, a torrent of sword light swept over.

Ji Feiyang’s single saber spun, the blade light as a feather.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

After several clashes, he suddenly executed a Thousand-Pound Drop, landing with a thud on the ground.

Several sword lights almost grazed his scalp.

Fu Hanyuan glanced back, “Trouble!”

He immediately turned around, leaped down, grabbed his shoulder, and flung him, “Go!”

This was meant to help Ji Feiyang escape, but when Ji Feiyang looked up, he nearly cursed.

He saw several black-clothed men just arriving, and the position Fu Hanyuan had thrown him into put him right in their path.

He exhaled sharply, about to use the Flying Stream Three Thousand Blades, when he heard a hum in the air, and a sharp blade seemed to be coming.

But when he turned abruptly, it wasn’t a blade at all—

It was a person!

The man descended from the sky, slicing a line with his saber, and the black-clothed men in front of Ji Feiyang were instantly decapitated, blood raining down.

Seeing this person, Ji Feiyang was elated, “You’re here too!?”

Feng Baichuan gave Ji Feiyang a cold glance, “Hmph.”

“...”

Hmph your sister!!

Ji Feiyang’s lips twitched, reciting a sutra in his heart, thinking it wasn’t worth arguing with him... The people of the Heavenly Blade Sect always said one thing and meant another.

However, as he looked down, he saw the black-clothed men gathering around them.

At that moment, a black-clothed man in the crowd suddenly spread his arms and drew two purple-gold concave flails from his back.

Swinging the flails, he smashed them into the surrounding black-clothed men, the hollow sounds echoing continuously, bones breaking, and bodies tumbling.

The Qilin Swordsman watched from afar and smiled,

“This is quite a convergence… But this turn of events is just right.”

Su Mo raised an eyebrow and suddenly spoke, “Ji Feiyang, you’ve always been with them, haven’t you?”

“Yes.”