Chapter 187: Once is Permissible, Twice is Not

Chapter 187: Once is Permissible, Twice is Not

"How about this trip, Sister Xiao Yun, you come with me?"

When Su Mo said this, he was already inside the Ziyang Escort Agency.

At that moment, the room held only Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun.

Yang Xiaoyun was pouring tea for Su Mo when she heard this. Her hand paused slightly, and she gave Su Mo a look of surprise mixed with amusement.

"Why are you acting like a lovesick youth? You seem quite persistent.

"Although I feel happy hearing this, your sudden change in behavior seems off.

"What did Wei Ruhan tell you?"

"……I’ve accepted a job."

Su Mo pondered for a moment and said, "This time, I’m afraid I’ll have to detour through Cold Moon Palace."

"Wei Ruhan’s job?"

Yang Xiaoyun nodded. "The Fallen Phoenix Alliance has never favored anyone in such matters. Even when Wu Daoyou and Father were acting together..."

Here, she paused for a moment before continuing in a low voice, "When Father was acting with Wu Daoyou, there was also no cooperation of this kind. This clearly indicates that now the Fallen Phoenix Alliance is asking our agency to escort their goods.

"For us, as long as we avoid getting involved in the internal power struggles of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance, this is the best signal.

"Although the agency is currently in disarray, and those outside are waiting to see how the situation develops, with this escort job, the agency will present a different atmosphere, capable of stabilizing the chaotic situation.

"It’s a good thing… However, I don’t need to join the convoy, do I?"

Yang Xiaoyun looked at Su Mo, smiled, and sat down beside him.

"The two escort agencies have just merged into one. I’m here to manage these numerous affairs.

"This is a crucial period, and unless you have a compelling reason to tell me, I certainly won’t leave."

Su Mo twitched at the corner of his mouth. There was a reason, but he was worried that if he told Yang Xiaoyun, it might backfire.

After a moment of silence, he shook his head with a smile.

He felt his level of concern over this matter was perhaps unwarranted.

The most vexing thing in the world is the matter of emotions.

It’s no wonder he was flustered…

But it’s futile if only one side is interested.

Moreover, currently, neither side is interested.

Wei Ziyi had no thoughts of this sort at all, and he himself was avoiding it like the plague.

"In this case, the words spoken by Wei Ruhan are hard to believe.

Am I being swayed by his words?

Thinking of this, he smiled and took Yang Xiaoyun's hand, saying:

'Ever since the day I was assassinated and you came to find me, we haven't been apart since then.

This sudden change has caught me off guard.

After all, though I may be unmatched in martial arts and peerless in the world, I am still human, and my heart is not unaffected.'

'If our love is eternal, why should we need to be together every moment?'

Hearing this, a faint glimmer of light appeared in Yang Xiaoyun's eyes. 'In this lifetime, I have already chosen you. Do you remember what I said to my father?'

'Of course I remember.'

'It's settled, then.'

Yang Xiaoyun said with a smile, 'You just go and travel the jianghu. I will take care of everything here for you. If we stand together, we will surely make the name of Ziyang Escort Agency spread across the Eastern Wilderness again… no, perhaps even the entire world!!'

'Alright, Xiaoyun, your bold spirit puts me to shame. I cannot lag behind.'

Su Mo nodded. 'Then let's join forces to revitalize the Ziyang Escort Agency!'

'That's the spirit.'

Yang Xiaoyun leaned on Su Mo's shoulder. After a moment of silence, she suddenly remembered something:

'When are you leaving on this trip?'

'It should be in the next few days.'

'The destination is Leng Yue Gong, so the previous route won't be useful. The route changes after the Jiyang Ferry.'

'Let's plan the route together.'

Without further words, the two of them prepared the writing materials. Su Mo ground the ink for Yang Xiaoyun, and she dipped the brush into the ink, pondering the path.

Occasionally, she looked up and saw Su Mo under the lamp, her eyes gleaming. 'I thought of a term.'

'Hmm?'

Su Mo was startled.

'A beauty grinding ink for a scholar.'

Yang Xiaoyun covered her mouth and giggled.

Su Mo opened his mouth, looked at his sleeve, and said, 'This is white. You chose it.'

'Then you shall be a scholar with white sleeves… but 'white' doesn't sound good. How about 'Wen-sleeved'? A scholar’s sleeve holding ink…'

'Painting the world?'

Su Mo replied casually."

Both were taken aback for a moment, then looked at the words on the paper and smiled at each other, realizing how fitting this sentence was to the current scene.

They spent some time planning out most of the route, with the remaining places being areas even Yang Xiaoyun had not visited.

Su Mo would need to discuss this with the accompanying head escorts.

"Both Zhang Biaotou and Li Biaotou are trustworthy. You can take them both along."

"It would be better to leave one behind to help you handle the affairs within the escort agency."

Su Mo said, "What do you think of these two?"

Yang Xiaoyun thought for a moment and said, "Zhang Biaotou adheres to rules and principles and possesses great strategic acumen. He can assist you greatly while you're away. Li Biaotou is straightforward and his martial skills surpass Zhang Biaotou's. While he may not excel in planning, he can follow orders and act effectively."

"In that case, I'll take Li Biaotou with me on this trip."

Su Mo said, "With Zhang Biaotou assisting you, you can manage the agency's affairs more easily."

"Yes, good."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded. Su Mo was never short of strategies and was far more cautious than others. Since Zhang Biaotou was still not very familiar with him, there might be differing opinions when encountering issues.

Although Su Mo could make decisions on his own, he still had to consider the thoughts and feelings of those around him.

If Yang Xiaoyun were to come along, it would naturally be different, so having Li Biaotou with him would certainly make things easier.

"Also, there's another job to Wufangji from Wanxin Trading Company. Who should we send for this one?"

"Since the escort agency has grown, you no longer need to handle everything yourself. We've been to Wufangji once, and despite some setbacks, we managed to handle it."

"With the Ziyang Escort Agency banner raised, even if you don't lead the team personally, there shouldn't be any issues."

"Hmm..."

Su Mo smiled, "Liu Mo is the perfect choice."

"That's what I was thinking."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded, "But there's one thing..."

"He lacks sufficient experience in escorting."

Su Mo said, "Find two more head escorts to go along. One can be selected from the original Iron Blood Escort Agency team. The other... let Xiaochuan go."

"Though they aren't very close, Xiaochuan and Liu Mo have developed a rapport."

"He can act as a buffer between Liu Mo and the other head escorts. With Xiaochuan along, we can prevent conflicts when decisions need to be made."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded and said, "It's indeed a well-thought-out plan. As for the manpower, it's manageable... By the way, what are your plans for Fu Hanyuan and Zhen Xiaoxiao?"

"Xiaoxiao will stay at the escort agency. One of the purposes of this trip to East City is to look into the records of the Whale Devouring Skill within the Purple Sun Sect."

"But this isn't urgent, and it's uncertain how troublesome it might be to deal with."

"If she goes, we can't afford to have her stay at the Purple Sun Sect for ten days or half a month. It's better to have her wait at home, and we can decide after I come back."

"With her helping you at home, this girl is a master of martial arts and has astonishing strength. She's an excellent fighter, so you don't have to worry about anyone causing trouble.

"As for Fu HanYuan... I’ll take him.

Su Mo shook his head lightly. "Fu HanYuan still needs someone who can keep him in check. Previously, when he went to East City with Feng Baichuan and Liu Mo, it was 'poison' that kept him under control.

"But this time, I'll have to be the one to rein him in.

"His temper still needs refining, and within the entire escort agency, he is the most afraid of me, making me the best choice."

"The Painful Mantra truly inspires awe and fear."

Yang Xiaoyun couldn't help but smile. "Your experiences are truly surprising."

Su Mo was momentarily speechless. The Painful Mantra was indeed unexpected in his plans.

And meeting someone like Master Red Cloud could only be described as pure luck.

After further arranging matters regarding personnel, Su Mo finally stood up. "Alright, that's it for now. Tomorrow, I'll take some people to the City Lord's mansion to check the goods and sign the contract with Wei Ruhan.

"I also need to go again to the Wanxin Trading Company. Although the head manager isn't in a rush, it's best not to delay it too long."

"Hmm."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded and saw Su Mo off. One stood inside the door, the other outside, and they looked at each other in the night.

Suddenly, Yang Xiaoyun’s expression shifted, and she pointed. "Who's there?"

"What?"

Su Mo's heart tightened. Given his martial skills, if someone was within Yang Xiaoyun’s sight but he hadn't noticed, that person's abilities must be extraordinarily high.

He immediately turned around, but there was nothing behind him.

Just as he was stunned, he felt a warm touch on his face. Startled, he turned back again, only to see Yang Xiaoyun had shut the door fiercely, her face completely red.

Su Mo was momentarily stunned and reached out to touch his face. But halfway there, he felt a warmth in his chest and, as if under a spell, pressed his hand against Yang Xiaoyun's door.

"Don't open the door, don't let your mind wander, go to sleep!"

Yang Xiaoyun's voice came low through the crack of the door.

Su Mo took a deep breath. "Xiaoyun, this... can happen once, but not twice... twice, but not three times... three times, but not four times..."

Before Su Mo could finish, an irritated voice came from inside the room. "You wish!"

Su Mo grinned and turned back, walking towards his room with a light step.

After hearing Su Mo's footsteps fade away, Yang Xiaoyun gently pressed her chest, feeling as though her heart was about to jump out of her throat.

She didn't know what had made her act so boldly. By the time she came to her senses, it was already done."

And it flowed smoothly like clouds and water...

She had no mental preparation at all, and only after completing this 'major event' did she feel overwhelmed with fear.

But once the moment passed, she subconsciously smacked her lips, blinked, and a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

The smile widened instantly, and she quickly covered her face. That wasn't enough, so she rushed to the bed, buried herself under the covers, and a low giggle finally escaped...

...

...

The next morning, in the dining room.

Yang Xiaoyun sat upright, not daring to glance at Su Mo from the corner of her eye.

Su Mo, however, was completely unconcerned, leaving Yang Xiaoyun slightly disappointed.

The others were unaware of what had transpired between the two; some felt the atmosphere seemed odd, while others were entirely oblivious.

However, Uncle Fu, who had been holding back, finally leaned toward Su Mo's ear:

"Young Master, you should at least wash your face in the morning... This is home, not out on the road."

"Pffft!"

Yang Xiaoyun, who had been sipping soup, almost spilled it everywhere.

Although Uncle Fu had lowered his voice to save face, everyone present, skilled in martial arts, heard him clearly.

Naturally, everyone heard it.

But... not washing his face wasn't a significant issue.

What puzzled them was why Yang Xiaoyun had reacted so dramatically.

For a moment, aside from Zhen Xiaoxiao, who was heartily eating from a large bowl, most eyes were on Yang Xiaoyun.

Yang Xiaoyun, her face red, pretended nothing had happened as she handed another steamed bun to Zhaodi, who was rubbing her full belly, debating whether to challenge her stomach with another.

Meanwhile, Su Mo said casually:

"I've decided, I'll never wash my face again."

"!!!"

Uncle Fu was wide-eyed, feeling that Su Mo was reverting to his old ways, a bit of his former reckless self coming back.

Yang Xiaoyun secretly placed a hand on Su Mo's thigh and pinched hard, flipping it over again and again, as if she couldn't get enough.

The atmosphere in the dining room became even stranger.

Breakfast ended in this peculiar atmosphere, and Su Mo selected Liu Mo, Li the Lead Escort, Xiaochuan, and Fu Hanyuan.

From the escort agency, he picked over twenty people and headed out.

First, they visited the Wanxin Trading Company, and the head shopkeeper greeted them warmly as always.

I thought the head shopkeeper might feel awkward when seeing Liu Mo, but both remained calm.

After checking and registering the goods, a series of preparations were completed. The head shopkeeper then paid a 1,000-tael deposit, and after signing the contract, the deal was finalized.

As usual, Su Mo had Xiaochuan and the others guard the goods, sealed the boxes, and kept watch to ensure everything was safe.

Then, he took Liu Mo and Fu Hanyuan to the city lord's mansion.

Unlike last night, they had business to attend to, so Su Mo entered through the back door.

They were greeted by Wei Ziyi and Huang Yuan.

Upon meeting, Wei Ziyi seemed the same as ever, which struck Su Mo as odd.

The previous night, the Grand Master of the Alliance had unexpectedly arranged a marriage discussion for him, and now he was seeing the person involved...

Was the Grand Master doing this deliberately?

"Head Escort Su."

Wei Ziyi saluted Su Mo with a fist. "We've been waiting for you for quite some time."

Su Mo nodded in response.

"Lead the way, please."

"Certainly, come with me."

Wei Ziyi walked ahead, nonchalantly pulling out a folding fan and snapping it open with a flick. The fan bore the inscription 'Noble as Jade.'

"Haven't you returned Luo Zhen's fan yet?"

Su Mo was taken aback. "Now that you mention it, where is that ugly gentleman?"

"He left a long time ago."

Wei Ziyi shook her head. "He's actually an interesting person. Although his appearance is ugly, his heart is truly kind. That's why I intended to bring him into the Fallen Phoenix Alliance at that time... But he's fond of the jianghu and dislikes being bound by gangs. Everyone has their own aspirations, and you can't force them, right?

"However, he said I couldn't help him for nothing, so he gave me this fan.

"I felt a bit embarrassed at the time. After all, this was sort of his trademark...

"But he said that he could write as many fans as he wanted anytime he wished, so I accepted it without further hesitation."

She then turned back to Su Mo with a big smile. "By the way, this escort mission for your grandfather really shouldn't have been given to you."

"Oh?"

Su Mo was surprised. "Why do you say that?"

"The Cold Moon Palace has recently had some conflicts with the Purple Sun Sect. Although you haven't been involved with the Purple Sun Sect for many years, you're still a member of it. I fear you won't be able to enter the mountain gate for this mission."

"Is it because of your Cold Moon Palace's Cold Rain Flying Star Sword?"

"How did you know?"

Wei Ziyi paused, taken aback.

"To be honest..."

Su Mo said, "The last time I went to East City, I had the honor of meeting several female warriors from the Cold Moon Palace."

"Oh?"

Wei Ziyi's eyes lit up as she turned to Su Mo. "Who?"

"...Chu Qiuyu."

"Sister Chu!?"

Wei Ziyi immediately smiled. "Sister Chu is very kind. I didn't expect that the two of you would have met by fate. Tell me how you met her."

Su Mo sighed. "It might not be the story you want to hear."

He briefly recounted his encounter with Chu Qiuyu. When he mentioned the Tao Tie Sect, Wei Ziyi's expression darkened.

The story began with the sight of a disemboweled corpse.

Hearing about the Tao Tie Sect and the Cold Moon Palace disciples, Wei Ziyi understood everything.

Su Mo briefly recounted his experiences before and after meeting Chu Qiuyu, leading up to the Jiaolong Water Village.

Finally, he mentioned how Chu Qiuyu had recounted the conflict between the Purple Sun Sect and the Cold Moon Palace during their eastward voyage.

After hearing the entire story, Wei Ziyi clasped her hands and bowed deeply.

"Wei Ziyi of the Cold Moon Palace gives thanks to Chief Escort Su for your honorable assistance. This kindness will never be forgotten by the Cold Moon Palace!"

"Between friends, there's no need for such formality."

Su Mo reached out and helped her up.

Wei Ziyi sighed. "Our friendship is one thing, but your actions were driven by chivalry, not just for my sake."

Just as she said this, she gave a bitter smile.

"I just didn't expect that Sister Chu would be saved by you so many times. This kindness... I don't know how to repay it.

"What's even more surprising... Sister Chu told you about my master's past because of these events."

"...Master?"

Su Mo was taken aback. "Is Cold Moon Flying Star Sword your master?"