Chapter 222: Is He Dead?

Chapter 222: Is He Dead?

By the time they reached Tianqu City, it was getting close to evening.

As nightfall approached, the main hall of the inn became increasingly lively.

The more people there were, the more diverse the conversations became.

Indeed, inns and teahouses are where you're most likely to hear the latest news from the jianghu—the world of martial artists and wandering warriors.

Su Mo and his companions sat quietly, picking at their food, while overhearing bits of news about Tianqu City, Wan Zangxin, and Liu Suifeng.

As for Wan Zangxin, the innkeeper had mentioned earlier that he had already arrived in Tianqu City.

He was currently resting at the Penglai Guesthouse.

Every day, visitors streamed in to see him.

However, in preparation for the Tianqu Sword Contest, he wasn't meeting with anyone during this period.

Instead, he had rented a small courtyard to meditate and prepare himself for the upcoming battle.

Liu Suifeng was still a few days' journey from Tianqu City. Before this, he had gone to Jingchan Temple.

However, this battle did not take place.

The monks of Jingchan Temple were unwilling to accept challenges lightly. When Liu Suifeng arrived, they refused to fight, and he left immediately.

Although he sought to test his sword against the Seven Great Sects and learn from their martial arts,

these kinds of challenges depend on both parties agreeing.

If I come to you for a sparring, and you refuse, then there's nothing more to say, and I'll leave.

In the jianghu, if a lone warrior refuses a challenge, they risk being labeled as a coward and losing their reputation.

However, Jingchan Temple no longer needed to prove its strength through such challenges.

As one of the Seven Great Sects in the Eastern City, their reputation was unquestionable.

No one would say they were afraid to fight; instead, it was said that the monks, out of compassion, were unwilling to engage in warfare.

Jingchan Temple was the last stop on Liu Suifeng's journey to test his sword against the Seven Great Sects.

After that, he had headed towards Tianqu City, and based on the time and distance, it would still take at least three more days to arrive.

However, everyone knew that the closer he got to Tianqu City, the more obstacles he would face.

The underground gambling dens in Tianqu City had already set up numerous betting pools, hoping to make a big profit.

With Wan Zangxin's safe arrival in Tianqu City, there was little more to bet on.

Now, those betting on Wan Zangxin's victory hoped their chances would be even greater.

Some believed that if Liu Suifeng died, Wan Zangxin would win without a fight in the Tianqu Sword Contest.

But there were also those who hoped that Liu Suifeng would be seriously injured, increasing Wan Zangxin's chances of winning.

That way, at least it would look better on the surface. In any case, there was plenty of intrigue and scheming behind the scenes.

Messages have been overheard from the inn that quite a few people have already headed to Liu Suifeng's final destination to set up an ambush.

They are just waiting for Liu Suifeng to come by and then they'll spring a trap.

Of course, there are also people who have gone to ambush those planning to ambush Liu Suifeng...

Those people are betting on Liu Suifeng's victory, so they naturally can't allow any harm to come to him. They are eager to protect this golden goose as if they were his personal guards.

In short, although the Tianqu Sword Contest has not yet begun, the situation is already turbulent.

However, among all these messages, what Su Mo cared about the most was something he hadn't heard a single word about.

Since parting with Master Red Cloud at the Jiaolong Water Fort, all he knew was that the great monk had made his way to the East City cult's territory.

There were even suspicions that Gu Biyuan, the missing deputy leader of the Palace of Blissful Heavens, had been captured by him.

But no one was discussing matters related to this at all.

He wondered how the old monk was doing now.

……

……

In the middle of the night, the city's daytime clamor had completely subsided.

In this ancient city, except for a few buildings still lit with red lanterns, everything else had quieted down for the night.

Su Mo hadn't slept. Instead, he sat by the bed in meditation.

As time passed quietly, he suddenly opened his eyes and looked towards the roof.

The sound of footsteps on the roof quickly faded away.

He thought for a moment and simply closed his eyes again.

But before he could meditate for a while, there were more hurried footsteps.

Su Mo was momentarily speechless. The situation in Tianqu City was turbulent, and while the entire city was asleep, these martial artists couldn't seem to rest.

If they weren't sleeping, couldn't they go to the brothels to let off steam? Why were they running around on people's roofs for no reason?

Shaking his head, Su Mo still didn't want to deal with it and was about to close his eyes to continue meditating.

Then he heard a series of heavy footsteps...

This person was a bit too much.

Their martial arts agility was really lacking; they were stomping on the roof so loudly that it was quite a racket.

Su Mo had had enough.

His brows furrowed slightly, and with a swift motion, the window opened. In the blink of an eye, he was already on the roof.

He wanted to see what these people were doing out here in the middle of the night.

No sooner had he reached the roof than someone hurriedly arrived and stood before him.

Seeing Su Mo come out, the person grinned, "You couldn't stay put either, huh?"

The person who arrived was none other than Wei Ziyi.

Like Su Mo, she had been resting peacefully in her room, but several loud noises from above had disturbed her.

This perfectly good roof had been treated like a city gate by these people.

Who could take that?

Curious, she decided to step out and see what was going on.

However, after just a few steps, she saw Su Mo.

The two moved together without much conversation and leapt up.

They followed the group from a distance.

They soon discovered that the group's destination was not far from the inn where they were staying, just three streets away.

Su Mo and Wei Ziyi exchanged a glance, keeping their distance as they stood on a nearby roof, watching with detached interest.

They had no intention of getting involved; at most, they were just there to watch the spectacle.

Wei Ziyi tugged at Su Mo's sleeve and pointed in a certain direction.

Su Mo looked and saw a sign hanging on a building, with four large characters written on it: "Penglai Inn!"

"These people are definitely here to create trouble for Wan Zangxin."

Su Mo was not surprised at all.

Liu Suifeng's journey to Tianqu City had been anything but easy.

How could Wan Zangxin possibly rest easy in Tianqu City?

This storm had already been stirred up, and nothing could calm it down before the Tianqu Sword Contest began.

Even after the contest, things might not calm down.

At this moment, someone had already climbed onto the roof of the small courtyard and discreetly pulled out a thread from their sleeve.

After pulling out a thread end, they slowly sent it down through the tile gaps.

This person was extremely patient, and not just patient, but also steady-handed. After about the time it took to finish a cup of tea, they stopped.

One hand remained still while the other reached into their clothes and pulled out a small porcelain bottle and a reed.

The reed was placed in the mouth, and the hand holding the bottle used two fingers to lift the cap, pinching it between them.

The reed was inserted into the bottle, and after a brief pause, almost half of the reed's capacity was drawn in.

After removing the reed, it was gently pressed against the thread, slowly pushing the liquid outward.

The poison in the bottle flowed down along that thread.

This was a common method of poisoning used in the jianghu.

The other end of the thread would usually approach a teacup or a teapot's opening.

If the target was highly skilled in martial arts or exceptionally proficient in lightness techniques, the poison could be secretly added to the teacup without the target noticing.

He drank it down, and the outcome was inevitable.

At that moment, the would-be poisoner was trying to secretly slip the poison into the room.

Meanwhile, the people lurking nearby were waiting to see if the poisoner would succeed...

But just then, the man, who had been calm and seemingly oblivious to everything around him, suddenly rolled his eyes, and a dark aura immediately surfaced on his face.

Before he could even cry out, he flipped over and fell from the roof.

As he plummeted through the air, his limbs went rigid, and it was clear he was already dead.

Wei Ziyi and Su Mo watched from afar, and upon seeing this, Wei Ziyi was somewhat surprised:

"What happened?"

Though her martial arts skills were quite good and her eyesight was exceptional, she couldn’t discern the details of what had transpired.

Su Mo, however, smiled and said:

"He didn’t expect that Wan Zangxin would still be awake at this hour. Not only was he awake, but when this person tried to poison him through the silk line, Wan Zangxin used his inner force to redirect it back.

"The man had the poison-laden straw in his mouth, appearing to be in danger, but in fact, he was being very cautious, not letting any of it enter.

"Yet, when Wan Zangxin sent the poison back with his inner force, it ended up in the man’s own stomach.

"The deadly, fast-acting poison he had prepared ended up being consumed by him in an instant."

"Oh?"

Wei Ziyi raised her eyebrows. "Looks like Wan Zangxin’s inner strength is pretty impressive. Regardless of how powerful it is, his control over it is like an extension of his own body—impressive stuff!"

"Indeed."

Su Mo nodded and looked into the distance. "We’re lucky. We get to see the Tianquan Xixin Sword technique before the Tianqu Sword Contest even begins.

Just as Su Mo finished speaking, they heard a light laugh coming from the courtyard:

"Esteemed fellow warriors of the jianghu have come together. Wan Zangxin feels deeply honored.

"I have prepared some light wine and tea. Would you all care to join me for a drink?"

Both Su Mo and Wei Ziyi recognized the voice, and their eyebrows shot up in surprise.

They had heard this voice before!

On the river, during the alliance at the water stronghold, Qi Shaoming came riding the waves and was injured by Su Mo.

And at that time, a masked figure descended from the sky, using supreme lightness skill to grab Qi Shaoming and flee.

That voice matched Wan Zangxin’s exactly.

"He..."

Wei Ziyi looked at Su Mo.

Su Mo quietly gestured for her to hold back and stay calm.

Wei Ziyi raised her eyebrows. "It's really him?"

"Really?"

Su Mo raised his eyebrows and looked at Wei Ziyi. "Young Miss Wei had already suspected his identity?"

"I'm not stupid..."

Wei Ziyi pouted. After all, she wasn’t just any young miss.

Though her true nature was now revealed, the carefully crafted image she once maintained had crumbled.

She was still the eighth leader of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance.

She was no stranger to strategy and intrigue.

In fact, when Chu Qiuyu mentioned the three significant accomplishments Wan Zangxin achieved after entering East City,

Wei Ziyi had already formed a suspicion.

What were these three accomplishments?

The first was exposing the cult infiltrator within the Huayang Sect.

The second was resolving the feud between two martial sects.

The third was traversing hundreds of miles to purge demons from the land.

As Chu Qiuyu finished recounting these three events, one name immediately came to Wei Ziyi’s mind...

Wan Zangxin is stirring up trouble!

The signs are glaringly obvious.

It’s unclear how he knew there was a spy from Evernight Valley inside the Huayang Sect.

And no one knows why the two sects started fighting, or what really happened during the demon extermination.

But when someone experiences three major events in such a short time, it’s natural to make some connections.

But Wei Ziyi saw even more beneath the surface...

Because the second event involving Wan Zangxin was eerily similar to the riverbank alliance.

The river region had been peaceful for years, so this sudden alliance seemed completely baseless.

Who along the river would think an impromptu alliance made any sense?

At first, Wei Ziyi didn’t give it much thought, but after hearing Chu Qiuyu’s account on the Guanxing Platform, a theory began to form in her mind.

The alliance was just a front—his real goal was to stir up conflict!

In reality, Wan Zangxin’s true intention was to use the alliance as a cover to position himself as the peacemaker.

Just like Su Mo that night.

This way, the Jiaolong Society, the Red Leaf Gang, the Xuanlong Water Stronghold, and all the other river factions would owe him a debt of gratitude.

Wei Ziyi didn’t voice her suspicions that day, sensing something was deeply unsettling.

For someone capable of stirring upheaval on the river single-handedly,

and even commanding a master like Waterborne Yanluo Qi Shaoming,

why would he need to seek the favor of the leaders along the river?

There were inconsistencies in this...

Even now, upon hearing Wan Zangxin’s voice, some parts still didn’t add up.

Despite all his efforts, what’s the real purpose behind all this?

Is it merely to create a stir?

Moreover, what leverage does he have over someone like Qi Shaoming?

As these thoughts raced through her mind, she noticed Su Mo’s expression remained eerily calm.

Her heart skipped a beat. "You wouldn’t already have a plan in place, would you?"

Su Mo glanced at Wei Ziyi, just as he was about to respond, a group of people burst into the courtyard.

Someone shouted angrily:

"Wan Zangxin, if you’re smart, you’ll come with us quietly. Otherwise, as a newcomer, you might not understand just how treacherous the jianghu can be!"

"That’s right, we have no interest in your so-called Tianqu Sword Contest. If you come with us, we can let bygones be bygones... but don’t expect us to be lenient forever."

Their words were something not even a three-year-old would believe.

Wan Zangxin chuckled lightly, his voice coming from within the room:

"I stand here, intending only to wait quietly for Lord Liu’s arrival in Tianqu City.

I never expected to be disturbed night after night, it’s become quite tiresome.

And now you wish to take me away?

However, this is not an impossibility... but it will require a conversation with my sword."

Hearing the beginning of his words, anger began to show on their faces.

But as they listened further, the situation took an unexpected turn.

Someone couldn’t help but ask:

"What would it take for you to come with us?"

"Not difficult at all," Wan Zangxin said with a smile. "You only need to ask my sword. If my sword agrees, then I will agree."

"...And have you asked it?" The person speaking had an ashen face, clearly flustered by the response.

"Of course, I asked him."

"How was it?"

"It didn't agree."

As soon as those words were spoken, a rustling sound erupted in waves.

All the windows and doors in the room opened simultaneously.

The sword energy, dazzling and fierce, tore through the air, swirling into a breathtaking wave!

The rough-looking men were the first to bear the brunt, but before they could even draw their weapons, they fell beneath the sword's edge.

Others tried to leap and attack from mid-air.

However, the sharp edge rose suddenly, slicing the person in mid-air into two halves. The two halves of the body tumbled to the ground in opposite directions.

In the blink of an eye, the sword's brilliant and deadly light cut down most of the people surrounding the courtyard.

When Wan Zangxin struck, it was nothing short of earth-shattering!

Even Su Mo couldn't help but slightly raise his eyebrows at the sight.

Liu Suifeng had said Wan Zangxin wasn't much of a concern, but now... that didn't seem to be the case.

Seeing the survivors fleeing in terror, Su Mo shook his head and glanced at Wei Ziyi.

"The spectacle is over, let's go."

Wei Ziyi lightly furrowed her brows and said, "That was some impressive swordwork."

"A sword energy wave, stretching over thirty meters, surged along the river.

"The magnificence of this sword was expected."

As Su Mo spoke, he led Wei Ziyi towards the inn.

But before they arrived, an extremely cold sword energy suddenly pressed against their spines from behind.

Su Mo and Wei Ziyi immediately stopped and turned around abruptly.

At this moment, although they were already far away, the sharpness emanated from the courtyard where Wan Zangxin had been.

Who was it!?

Both were filled with surprise and suspicion and immediately leapt into the air.

In just a moment, they arrived back in front of the courtyard. This time, it was completely silent.

At some point, a large hole had been broken open in the roof of the courtyard where Wan Zangxin had been.

Several figures were fleeing towards the west.

Without hesitation, Su Mo and Wei Ziyi gave chase.

These figures were not the troublemakers from earlier, but rather those who had been secretly watching over Wan Zangxin's safety.

By pretending to be supporters of Wan Zangxin, Su Mo and Wei Ziyi quickly gained their trust.

After the two of them left, another person attacked Wan Zangxin's room.

The people watching from outside weren't particularly concerned at first.

However, they didn't expect that when these two collided, the resulting sword energy was so powerful that it tore through the sky like a storm, ripping open the roof.

Immediately after, Wan Zangxin emerged from the hole in the roof and dashed away.

A black-clad, masked swordsman was hot on his heels.

They were heading straight westward.

Upon learning this, Su Mo and Wei Ziyi immediately used their martial arts agility and quickened their pace.

In moments, they had already left Tianqu City far behind.

They covered dozens of miles in a blur, until they arrived in front of a dense forest.

Su Mo and Wei Ziyi suddenly stopped in their tracks.

Nailed to a tree at the edge of the forest was a man, lifeless.

From his appearance, he matched the portrait held by the western outlaws who had slaughtered Zhaodi's entire village.

It was none other than Wan Zangxin…

But how could he be dead?