Chapter 223: Monk Huibian

Chapter 223: Monk Huibian

Wei Ziyi couldn’t wrap her head around what she was seeing.

Her eyes darted between the corpse hanging from the tree and Su Mo, unable to process the scene. She pointed at the man on the tree with her hand, then shifted her gaze back to Su Mo.

After a long pause, she managed to choke out two words:

"Dead?"

"Dead."

Su Mo nodded. With his hearing, he couldn’t detect any pulse or heartbeat from the corpse either.

Clearly dead.

Of course, in this martial world, many martial artists knew techniques like 'tortoise breathing,' which could simulate death.

So Su Mo approached the corpse, examining it carefully, and even searched inside and out.

"I understand the inspection, but what are you looking for on him?"

Wei Ziyi was once again incredulous.

Su Mo gave a dismissive shrug.

"There’s nothing…"

"What were you expecting to find?"

"If I knew, I wouldn’t need to search."

As Su Mo said this, he was staring at Wan Zangxin’s wound.

"Young Miss Wei, as a master of swordsmanship, do you have any thoughts on this wound?"

"…Don’t try to pass the buck."

Wei Ziyi smirked but stepped forward to examine the wound carefully.

"Dead by a single thrust to the heart—a move so precise, it left no room for error or resistance. The killer’s skill far surpasses Wan Zangxin’s."

As Wei Ziyi spoke, a flicker of unease crept into her voice.

Back in the courtyard, Wan Zangxin’s swordplay had been a dazzling display of power and grace, almost unmatched.

Who could have been so overwhelmingly superior to Wan Zangxin to kill him with a single clean thrust?

Moreover, judging from the surroundings, there weren’t many signs of a struggle. The ground was eerily undisturbed, as if the fight had been over before it even began.

It was clear that the fight between them had been very short.

From what those people had said earlier, the one who killed Wan Zangxin had clashed with him in a single, decisive exchange.

After that, Wan Zangxin fled, but he had nowhere left to run, and this is where he met his end.

The two exchanged only a few blows before Wan Zangxin was killed, felled within just two or three moves.

Who exactly could this person be? What kind of expert is capable of such a feat?

Su Mo glanced at the body, then raised an eyebrow and gazed into the distance.

At the same time, Wei Ziyi also looked up in the same direction.

The area they were looking at was filled with intense energy.

Without hesitation, they leaped forward and dashed toward that location.

Before leaving, Su Mo hesitated, glancing at Wan Zangxin's body.

In the end, he could only temporarily set aside his thoughts.

They activated their lightness skills and, within moments, covered over ten miles, reaching a nearby mountain hollow.

From their vantage point, they saw several figures in chaos within the hollow.

Su Mo and Wei Ziyi perched on two branches of a large tree, observing under the cover of night.

There were seven people in the group, three men and four women, all dressed rather strangely.

Both men and women wore outfits that revealed much of their skin.

At that moment, it seemed they had encountered something, causing them to stumble and spin as if blind.

One of them shouted, "You bastard, actually using such despicable methods! Have the guts to come out and fight with us for three hundred rounds!"

"That's right, let's have a fierce battle and decide the winner!"

"Hey, little girl, you're quite a looker. Why don't you come with us? Staying with someone who looks good but can't deliver would just waste your youth."

"Exactly! Big brothers have extraordinary skills. If you don't believe me, just ask the sisters next to you."

The women also chimed in, supporting the men.

Their words were of the lowest kind.

Their exaggerated, flirtatious behavior was revolting.

After watching for a moment, Wei Ziyi's face sank, and she said in a low voice, "The cultists from the Palace of Ultimate Bliss."

As she spoke, she was about to draw her sword.

But Su Mo gently stopped her, instead plucking a branch from the tree and breaking it into several pieces with his inner strength, each about an inch long.

With a light flick of his finger, the Flicking Finger technique sent the branch flying almost silently.

Immediately after, they heard a woman cry out and fall to the ground.

She rubbed her leg and deliberately writhed, putting on a lewd display. "Who is it? So heartless, hitting your big sister?"

"Perhaps it's your bald friend."

From the other side, someone spoke and moved closer to the woman, trying to pinpoint the source of the ambush.

Su Mo raised an eyebrow and exchanged a quick glance with Wei Ziyi.

He expected Wei Ziyi to understand the look in his eyes, but instead, she was glaring at him angrily!

What was going on?

Su Mo was momentarily bewildered but didn't waste any more time.

Using the Flicking Finger technique, he propelled the segmented branches, striking their pressure points.

The first person let out a yelp and froze in place.

But it was too late. Someone shouted, "It's not them, run!!"

Su Mo's fingers moved so fast that, in the blink of an eye, he struck seven times.

However, the last strike was just a fraction of a second too late.

The last person judged from the situation of those around them that the incoming attacker was highly skilled, making it impossible to confront them head-on.

In such a situation, even trying to run was out of the question.

In a desperate move, they quickly pulled a small packet from their chest and, with an infusion of internal energy, caused it to burst open.

A thick pink mist immediately filled the woods.

It enveloped everyone present.

Just as this was done, Su Mo's branch struck the acupoint on that person's shoulder.

The person was frozen in a posture of delivering something, unable to move.

Su Mo's brows furrowed.

He used the Flicking Finger technique from a distance to immobilize them, partly to guard against any trickery.

More importantly, it was to capture a live person and interrogate them for details.

He didn't expect them to be so decisive.

This pink fog was of unknown origin and showed no signs of dissipating anytime soon.

Even the wind in the valley couldn't disperse it.

"Young Miss Wei, given your extensive knowledge, do you know what this fog is?"

Su Mo asked Wei Ziyi.

Wei Ziyi, who was too preoccupied to glare at Su Mo, frowned tightly:

"This… should be 'Unbind the Silken Gown'!"

"……"

Su Mo glanced at Wei Ziyi a couple of times: "What is it?"

"You figure it out!"

Wei Ziyi immediately grew irritated.

Su Mo pondered for a moment and suddenly realized: "So, you mean taking off clothes?"

Wei Ziyi’s lips twitched, and she placed a hand on her sword hilt, glaring at Su Mo through clenched teeth:

"Are you planning to give in?"

Su Mo fell silent, his gaze shifting to the pink mist, confusion etched on his face:

"They’re paralyzed—what can we do about that?"

"Well..."

Wei Ziyi let go of her sword hilt and thought for a moment before saying:

"As they say in our sect, the toxin of 'Unbind the Silken Gown' is extremely potent, far more dangerous than ordinary... those kinds of drugs.

"It contains a deadly poison. If one does not possess profound inner energy to expel the toxin,

"or... or... engage in... you know, *that* kind of act!

"In short, if the poison is not neutralized, they can only wait for death."

After finishing, she felt her cheeks burning.

However, thinking about it, she also felt something was off...

She was just explaining the effects of 'Unbind the Silken Gown' to Su Mo, so why should she feel embarrassed?

As people of the jianghu, with open hearts, why should they shy away from words?

Even if it’s something vulgar, it’s part of the Heavenly Palace of Bliss—why should it affect me?

Why was her heart racing?

At this thought, her heart felt at ease.

She even felt brave enough to look at Su Mo, but when she turned her head and saw Su Mo’s face, a wave of shame surged again.

However, she noticed that Su Mo was just frowning, staring at the pink mist, seemingly troubled.

Wei Ziyi raised her brows: "What’s wrong with you? Are you worried about those 'good sisters' and planning to detoxify them?"

"Huh?"

Su Mo turned to Wei Ziyi: "Wei Ziyi, why the crude talk?"

"Then why are you looking at them so concernedly... and just now, you even made that shameless woman put on a coquettish display for you...

"Chief Escort Su, forgive me for being blunt, but Sister Yang is still waiting for you at the escort agency.

"Even if you’re alone outside, even if you feel a little lonely, your heart shouldn’t wander."

"Your heart’s the one wandering."

Su Mo rolled his eyes dramatically. "I said, that's why you were looking at me with such a face earlier...

"While they were talking, their eyes seemed unfocused, as if they couldn’t see anything.

"However, they were constantly searching for traces of opponents around them.

"In reality, they were outwardly relaxed but inwardly on high alert.

"Moreover, they said that one of them has a bald companion.

"Have you thought of anything?"

"A bald companion?"

Wei Ziyi was startled and only came to her senses, saying softly, "Master Red Cloud?"

Previously, Su Mo had mentioned that he had been taught the Painful Mantra by Master Red Cloud, and they had a close relationship.

Wei Ziyi also knew that this Master Red Cloud had gone deep into the East City cult, hoping to make those demons repent.

At this point, hearing Su Mo mention it, she furrowed her brow slightly:

"Today, in the inn, although we heard a lot of news, there was no clue about Master Red Cloud...

"And before, there were rumors that the deputy palace master of the Extreme Joy Palace, Gu Biyuan, mysteriously disappeared after Master Red Cloud arrived in East City...

"Are you worried about this bald companion...?"

Saying this, Wei Ziyi shook her head repeatedly. "According to what you said, Master Red Cloud is no ordinary monk.

"How could someone like him get tangled up in such a dangerous situation?"

"I’m not too worried about Master Red Cloud."

Su Mo glanced at Wei Ziyi, and even less so about Gu Biyuan.

That deputy palace master of the Extreme Joy Palace was likely locked up in the city lord’s dungeon right now.

But he couldn’t tell Wei Ziyi that for the time being.

He just said, "However, Master Red Cloud’s disciples aren’t exactly saints. They are all bandits by origin, and although they are constrained by the Painful Mantra because of Master Red Cloud,

"If they slip up or are tempted, they could still cause trouble."

"I see."

Wei Ziyi understood at this point.

Earlier, those people seemed to be rambling, but they were actually on high alert the whole time.

When Su Mo probed with a branch and heard the word 'bald,' it immediately made him think of Master Red Cloud.

He then immobilized them, wanting to capture a live one to see if they could extract any secrets.

But he didn’t expect these people to be so despicable.

At the slightest sign of trouble, they tossed out the Unbind the Silken Gown.

For a moment, Su Mo and I were stuck between a rock and a hard place—getting too close wasn’t safe, but staying back risked another surprise attack.

With no other options, they had no choice but to wait helplessly.

They waited for what felt like the time it takes for an incense stick to burn down before the pink mist from the Unbind the Silken Gown finally faded away entirely.

Su Mo and Wei Ziyi exchanged a glance, and to be safe, they waited a few more minutes before dashing to the group.

There was no trace of pink mist left in the air, with only a faint, unidentifiable floral scent lingering.

Fortunately, it no longer had any effect on them.

Even so, the two held their breath as they examined the condition of the seven individuals.

Upon seeing it, they couldn’t help but sigh.

All seven had blood seeping from their seven orifices, their faces flushed and purple.

Clearly, the poison was incurable, and worse, they were paralyzed.

Su Mo’s internal energy was formidable.

Although his technique in striking acupoints wasn’t as refined as Wei Ruhan’s Prisoned Dragon Finger, it was still far from something they could break through in a desperate situation.

The deadly poison from the Unbind the Silken Gown ravaged their bodies, stirring their inner fire with no way to release it, eventually suffocating them.

Su Mo and Wei Ziyi exchanged a glance, both feeling a bit helpless.

“Let’s search them.”

Su Mo thought for a moment and said, “See if there’s anything important on them.”

“…And don’t you dare touch those ‘ladies,’” Wei Ziyi quickly added.

“…They’re dead!?”

Su Mo emphasized with an exasperated expression, “And by search, I mean search!”

After saying that, he realized, “Wait, why does this concern you?”

“Sister Yang isn’t here, so I need to help her keep an eye on you.”

Wei Ziyi said with righteous seriousness, “You haven’t done anything suspicious yet, but old Chief Escort Su isn’t someone to take lightly…

“I need to keep a closer eye on you for Sister Yang’s sake, so you don’t mess up and disgrace yourself in front of the people of Luo Xia.”

Su Mo wanted to kick her.

Shaking his head, he didn’t bother arguing with her. He began searching the men’s bodies but reminded her, “Be careful, they might have traps on them.”

“Hmm.”

Wei Ziyi nodded, and just as she was about to start, Su Mo stopped her again, taking out a pair of deer leather gloves from his chest and throwing them to her.

“You really thought of everything.”

Wei Ziyi was somewhat surprised.

"In the jianghu, it's better to be prepared than sorry."

Su Mo had mastered the Twelve Levels of the Golden Bell Shield, and although it was said to make him invulnerable to poisons, he didn't dare to rely on that alone.

It was just his cautious nature.

Even if these people had some tricks up their sleeves, they likely couldn't harm him.

Compared to Su Mo, Wei Ziyi obviously needed the deer-hide gloves more.

The two quickly searched each body but found nothing.

These people were barely dressed, making the search straightforward.

They then checked the area together again.

But they found no clues and had to leave it at that.

"Tianqu City is the core of the battle between good and evil, and we always encounter these cult members."

Wei Ziyi comforted Su Mo, saying, "Next time we run into the Extreme Joy Heaven Palace, we'll grab a couple and ask them some questions. We can't let them have another chance to use the 'Unbind the Silken Gown'."

Su Mo nodded.

That move was tough to defend against.

Luckily, neither of them got too close. If they had, they might have been in real trouble.

Since there were no clues, they didn't linger. The two immediately turned to leave—there was still Wan Zangxin's body that needed to be dealt with.

But after just a few steps, they saw flames suddenly erupt in that direction, blazing into the night sky and engulfing half the sky!

"This..."

Wei Ziyi was stunned. "What's going on?"

"Setting fire to the mountains means a lifetime in prison."

Su Mo's brows furrowed slightly. "Let's go!"

Without another word, they used their lightness skill and covered the ten miles of mountain road in moments.

When they arrived, the fire had been where Wan Zangxin was.

But by the time they got there, the fire had already died out, though there were a few more people around.

They were the martial artists from the jianghu who had bet on Wan Zangxin winning the Tianqu Sword Contest.

Su Mo had intended to ask them what had happened, but as soon as they saw Su Mo and Wei Ziyi, they rushed over and asked instead:

"Brother, how did a fire start here?"

"Where is Wan the Great Hero?"

"Do you know who our enemies are?"

Seeing that Su Mo and Wei Ziyi's martial arts agility far surpassed their own, they realized these were no ordinary people and addressed them with considerable respect.

Su Mo and Wei Ziyi exchanged a glance, preparing to reveal that Wan Zangxin had been nailed to a tree and killed.

Just then, the sound of fabric slicing through the air reached their ears, and in the blink of an eye, a young swordsman landed before them, longsword in hand. He casually twirled the blade into a flourish, then reversed it, concealing it behind his back.

His gaze swept over the group, and he offered a smile:

"I apologize for disturbing you all. This is entirely my fault."

Wei Ziyi's pupils contracted sharply, and her heart raced with shock!

But the shock quickly subsided, and she instinctively glanced at Su Mo.

She noticed Su Mo's expression was oddly pensive, as if a realization had just dawned on him.

For a moment, confusion clouded her mind, and then she turned her gaze back to the young swordsman.

It was none other than Wan Zangxin, who had died not long ago outside the dense forest!

What exactly was going on with him?

……

……

About twenty miles from here, nestled deep within the mountains, lay a hidden cave.

At this moment, faint flames could be seen flickering within the cave.

A young woman tended the fire, turning to see three other women channeling their inner energy to aid a monk.

The monk had a vicious appearance, and a hint of fierce aura could be seen in his eyes.

He did not appear to be a man of virtue.

However, the young master sitting in the sedan chair did not plan to ask whether the people were good or bad. Seeing that someone was being chased, he decided to save them first.

But at this moment, the expression on the young master's face was not good.

"These injuries are too severe; it's beyond saving."

As he spoke, he placed a palm on the monk's chest. The monk, like a drowning man suddenly rescued, took a deep breath, but it aggravated his injuries, causing blood to spill from the corner of his mouth.

Looking up, he was surprised:

"Who are you?"

The young master in the sedan chair spoke softly:

"I intended to save your life, but it is too late.

"Now that I've given you a moment's respite, speak quickly and don't waste time. If there's anything unfinished, feel free to ask.

"I will help if I can. If I cannot, I will have to bury you and pass along a message on your behalf."

Hearing this, the monk took a deep breath:

"I am Huibian, and I thank you for your kindness!"