Chapter 224: Take Care

Chapter 224: Take Care

Wan Zangxin was indeed dead!

Wei Ziyi was certain that Wan Zangxin had died right in front of this dense forest.

Killed by a sword thrust through his heart.

All life force had been severed.

She had checked the body herself and used her inner energy to probe with her martial arts skills.

There was no doubt he was dead.

But now, he was alive again.

So, was the person who died earlier really Wan Zangxin?

If so, how could a dead person come back to life?

And if not... who was he?

One question after another surged in Wei Ziyi's mind.

Yet, for the moment, there were no answers.

Occasionally glancing at Su Mo, she found that there wasn’t much confusion on his face, but rather a hint of realization.

What did he know that she didn’t?

Wei Ziyi kept her questions to herself.

She didn’t show her confusion, and even the shock on her face was fleeting, not allowing anyone to catch a glimpse of it.

Although she didn’t understand the mystery of Wan Zangxin’s life and death,

She knew there was a huge problem hidden within.

Su Mo didn’t tell her, and he must have had his reasons.

And it wasn’t the right time to press for answers. Instead of asking, it was better to pretend nothing was wrong, step back, and watch coldly from the sidelines.

She saw Wan Zangxin greet everyone present with a smile on his face.

Though he occasionally glanced at Su Mo and Wei Ziyi with a hint of confusion.

After a brief moment of thought, he walked forward:

“Thank you both for making the trip here.”

Su Mo laughed heartily, “No trouble at all. Tonight, I was meditating in my room when the noise upstairs sounded like a storm, so I figured I’d check out what was going on.

“I didn’t expect to witness Wan Zangxin’s Heavenly Spring Heart-Purifying Sword before the Tianqu Sword Duel even started.

“It was a real treat to watch, something that takes your breath away.”

“Oh, you’re too kind,” Wan Zangxin couldn’t help but lift the corners of his mouth at Su Mo’s words.

"Speaking of which, may I ask the two of you for your esteemed names?"

"I dare not, I am Su Mo, from the southwestern region. I run the Ziyang Escort Bureau in Sunset City."

Su Mo chuckled lightly, introducing himself.

Upon hearing this, Wan Zangxin was visibly shocked:

"What? The Ziyang Escort Bureau in Sunset City! You are Chief Escort Su Mo, who defeated the Three Orders with one sword and shattered the Youquan Cult in Profound Theory Valley!?"

His voice was quite loud, and several people nearby overheard him and immediately turned to look at Su Mo.

They each took a sharp breath.

A person's reputation precedes them, and although they hadn't known Su Mo and Wei Ziyi's identities before, observing their lightness kung fu skills had already made them dare not underestimate them.

Now, hearing Su Mo's name, they were even more shocked.

Although to many martial artists from East City, the southwestern region was just a small place,

Su Mo was different.

The twenty years of planning by the Youquan Cult were cut down by one sword of Su Mo's.

When the news spread to East City, it was revealed that Su Mo had defeated one department and three orders of the Youquan Cult in Profound Theory Valley.

Su Mo's name became well-known along with this event.

Who would have thought that such a legendary figure would be standing right here!?

They dared not be disrespectful and hurriedly came forward to pay their respects.

Su Mo returned the greetings one by one.

He then introduced Wei Ziyi, and upon hearing she was a top disciple of the Cold Moon Palace, there was another round of admiration.

However, it wasn't as surprising as learning Su Mo's identity.

After all, this was Tianqu City, and although disciples of the Cold Moon Palace were rare elsewhere, there was a Cold Moon Palace base in Tianqu City, where the ladies of the Cold Moon Palace could occasionally be seen shopping.

In comparison, Su Mo, who had risen from the southwest, was even more eye-catching.

Wan Zangxin couldn't help but exclaim:

"I've long heard of Chief Escort Su's remarkable deeds.

"I had planned to visit the southwest after the Tianqu Sword Contest to personally pay my respects.

"But I didn't expect to meet you here... What a stroke of luck, indeed!"

"Wan Daxia, you flatter me," Su Mo said with a smile. "Since I arrived in East City, I've often heard tales of your bravery. From capturing spies in the Huayang Sect to calming unrest in the Kongshan Mountains, traveling hundreds of miles to rid the world of evil for the sake of the ordinary folks, you are truly a model of our righteous path.

"Hearing these deeds, I, Su, am truly filled with admiration."

"Haha, those are just trivial matters," Wan Zangxin said. "With a single strike, you crippled the Youquan Cult.

"More importantly, you protected the fellow martial artists in the southwest from even a scratch under the clutches of the Youquan Cult."

"I can't even come close to that level of skill, no matter how hard I try."

The two men were exchanging compliments, and the others joined in as well.

Wei Ziyi stood off to the side, listening intently, carefully analyzing Wan Zangxin's voice.

She discovered that his voice was exactly the same as the one she had heard in the courtyard earlier.

This only deepened her confusion.

However, she didn't pay much attention to the mutual flattery between Su Mo and Wan Zangxin.

In the world of martial artists, this is how things work. You flatter me, and I flatter you, and friendships often grew deeper through this exchange of compliments.

Su Mo spoke diplomatically, while Wan Zangxin seemed eager to build connections, and the atmosphere became increasingly warm.

As the conversation progressed, Su Mo suddenly changed the subject and looked towards the nearby area where there were still flickers of fire and billowing smoke. He couldn't help but ask:

"By the way, do you have any idea what's happening here, Brother Wan?

"Earlier, Wei Ziyi and I saw your excellent swordsmanship and thought the troublemakers had been dealt with, so we didn't pay much attention.

"We intended to return to the inn to rest, but after just a few steps, we sensed a powerful sword aura rising into the sky. That's when we turned back.

"We knew you had been ambushed again and had already left.

"We followed the trail but eventually took a wrong turn.

"We were delayed for a long time before being drawn here by the firelight... We still hadn't figured out what was going on when you arrived.

"So, I'm still unclear, how did this place suddenly catch fire?

"And where is the enemy?"

Upon hearing this, Wan Zangxin sighed:

"This matter is as puzzling to you as it is to me.

"The person broke into my room and started stabbing with a sword.

"Their martial arts were so high... it was beyond my expectations.

"Caught off guard, I could only fight while retreating.

"When we reached this place, the person left gracefully, and only then did I realize that their lightness skills were also superior to mine.

"I tried to follow the trail but eventually lost them.

"When I looked back, this place was on fire...

"Who is this shadowy figure, and why did they lure me here tonight?

"It's all... quite baffling."

At this point, several other martial artists nodded, indicating that they too had seen the fire when they arrived and had not seen the person who started it.

"I see."

Su Mo nodded and said with a smile:

All in all, it's a relief that Master Wan is safe and sound. With the Tianqu Sword Contest approaching, there are sure to be plenty of troublemakers lurking around.

"Take care, Master Wan."

"Hmm."

Wan Zangxin forced a smile. "Thank you for your concern, Chief Escort Su."

Noticing the embers were nearly extinguished and with no other sources of fire nearby, Su Mo and Wei Ziyi didn’t linger.

They all headed back to Tianqu City, and on the way back, Wan Zangxin seemed lost in thought.

When asked, he acted like nothing was wrong.

It wasn't until they reached the Peng Lai Inn that everyone parted ways.

The others went back to rest, while Wan Zangxin had to explain himself at the inn, since he had damaged the roof and needed to take responsibility. There were compensations to be made and repairs to be done—he had his work cut out for him after such a night.

Su Mo and Wei Ziyi returned to the inn where they were staying.

Instead of going to her own room, Wei Ziyi went straight to Su Mo’s.

She didn’t say a word, just stood there, staring at Su Mo with an intense gaze.

Su Mo flicked his finger, and the lamp lit up. Their shadows naturally fell on the window as he poured a cup of tea for Wei Ziyi, looking helpless.

"Tell me, as an unmarried young lady, what are you doing sneaking into a man's room in the middle of the night, sitting across from him like this?

"What would people think if they found out?"

"I don't care."

Wei Ziyi was quite shameless. "Even if it gets out, my master might actually be quite pleased about it."

"..."

Su Mo was speechless. "What exactly do you want?"

"That question should be mine to ask," Wei Ziyi replied.

Then she glanced down.

She saw that at some point, Su Mo had used the tea on the table to write a line: Someone is watching, don't alert them.

Her eyebrows raised immediately. "What are your plans?"

"Huh?"

Su Mo widened his eyes and couldn't help but draw a question mark on the table.

Wei Ziyi didn't understand, but she understood the question in Su Mo's eyes. She sneered and said,

"At this point, everyone is pressuring me to marry you.

"We've come this far together, and you should have made a decision by now.

"I'm not asking for Sister Yang's position, but you at least need to give me a proper title."

"So I can give the elders in my family some peace of mind, right?"

As she spoke, she used her finger to write a message in the water of the cup: "Still watching?"

Su Mo sighed. "Young Miss Wei, with your beauty and exceptional martial skills, how could you possibly worry about marriage? I, Su Mo, am just a mere man and truly not a suitable match."

While saying this, his fingers wrote on the table: "Still watching, don't say anything, go back quickly."

At this point, they heard Wei Ziyi slap the table hard and stand up abruptly.

"Su Mo! You, who falsely claim to be a hero, are indecisive and hesitant. This is utterly unreasonable.

"I'll give you three days to think carefully. If you still haven't made a decision by then, I'll go ask Sister Yang for her opinion!"

With that, she turned around and left.

Su Mo’s lips twitched involuntarily. Though he knew it was all for show, her words still struck a nerve.

He blurted out, "Absolutely not!"

Wei Ziyi paused in her steps, looked back at Su Mo, her eyes filled with confusion.

What made it so impossible?

But despite her confusion, she spoke firmly. "You better think this through!"

With that, she opened the door and left.

Su Mo let out a long sigh and, with a wave of his hand, extinguished the candlelight in the room.

He closed the door, got back into bed, and tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

His ears perked up. Since they returned to the inn, the watchful eyes that had been following them finally vanished.

At this moment, Su Mo sat up.

He gently exhaled, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"This situation... is getting more intriguing."

……

……

The next morning, Su Mo and his group sat down in the main hall.

Hu Sandao yawned and stretched his neck, saying,

"The bed in this inn doesn't seem very comfortable.

"I've slept on hard beds in the mountain stronghold for so long, and every time I woke up, I felt refreshed.

"But now, my head feels like it’s in a fog, like someone gave me a good whack."

The scar-faced stranger sitting next to him immediately echoed his words.

At the same time, he was moving his neck, as if he was very uncomfortable.

Fu Hanyuan looked at him curiously. "Is it because it's too cramped? Maybe you could let him sleep on the floor, or take the floor yourself?"

"…Sleep on the floor? He wouldn't have it. He insisted on squeezing together with me.

"As for me taking the floor… why should I be the one to sleep on the floor?"

Hu Sandao was clearly annoyed and shot a fierce glare at the scar-faced stranger.

The scar-faced stranger glared back fiercely, equally annoyed.

Su Mo looked at the two of them and couldn't help but smile. "Old Hu, didn't get much sleep last night?"

"Not really." Hu Sandao shook his head. "I slept through the night, but it wasn't exactly comfortable. Boss Su, don't worry about it."

The scar-faced stranger immediately shook his head and repeated the last part.

Su Mo nodded and gave the scar-faced stranger a look. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard someone at the next table speak mysteriously.

"Something happened last night."

The people at their table immediately asked, "What?"

"Someone went to Wan Zangxin's courtyard looking for trouble."

"Is that even news?"

One of the people present scoffed. "Since Wan Zangxin arrived in Tianqu City, people have been keeping an eye on him, both openly and behind the scenes.

"It's not just a few who have tried their luck, but they ended up dead or injured, with the only result being that Wan Zangxin had to compensate the Penglai Inn quite a bit."

"Hahahaha."

The laughter was loud, and some of the people around who overheard couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Su Mo and Wei Ziyi exchanged glances and couldn't help but smile.

However, the person who first spoke sneered and deliberately raised his voice. "That was the first incident that happened last night. Wan Zangxin used the Heavenly Spring Heart-Cleansing Sword to drive off the visitor.

"But if that's all that happened, it wouldn't be worth mentioning.

"What's truly worth talking about is that last night, Wan Zangxin encountered a mysterious expert. They battled for miles, and eventually, the expert disappeared without a trace.

"Wan Zangxin couldn't stop him from disappearing."

As soon as these words left his mouth, they caused quite a stir.

"Is that true?"

"Ever since Wan Zangxin arrived in Tianqu City, he has rarely made a move, but when he does, it's always earth-shattering.

"For someone to go toe-to-toe with him like that… I wonder where this expert is from?"

"Even Hu Zangxin couldn't stop this person, so how could we possibly know where he's from?"

"The world is full of hidden depths, and there's always someone stronger out there. We really can't underestimate others."

This sparked a flurry of discussion, and some people even mentioned Su Mo.

Su Mo was also on the scene last night. Since they knew someone had chased Hu Zangxin for dozens of miles and fought, they naturally wouldn't overlook Su Mo's presence.

They kept talking about Su Mo, completely oblivious to the fact that he was sitting quietly in the hall.

Both Fu Hanyuan and Hu Sandao couldn't help but look at Su Mo after hearing this.

Hu Sandao aside, Fu Hanyuan had also heard some noise on the roof last night. However, without Su Mo's orders, he didn't get up to check the situation.

Surprisingly, Su Mo had slipped out for a walk on his own.

As everyone was discussing and speculating about the origin of this expert, suddenly someone rushed into the inn hall in a hurry.

Shouting loudly:

"Something's wrong, something's wrong, something bad has happened!!!"

Everyone turned to look at the newcomer.

Su Mo also glanced over and realized he didn't know the person.

However, the inn's regulars knew him well.

He was quite young, around twenty years old, known as Tianqu City's resident gossip.

He loved spreading rumors and stirring up gossip.

Some speculated that he might be connected to the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion.

After all, the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion sold information and was known for being the most well-informed.

While it’s still possible to find them and buy information, those channels are no longer widely known.

Noticing the panic on his face, someone quipped with a smirk:

"Not in the know this time, are you? We already know that last night an expert attacked Hu Zangxin, and they fought for dozens of miles."

The Tianqu resident gossip was taken aback upon hearing this. "Ah? It's not that!"

Everyone was confused. "Then what is it?"

"The leader of Huayang Sect arrived in Tianqu City just yesterday and stayed at the Penglai Lodge.

"This morning, the disciples went to greet him.

"After repeated knocking yielded no response, they broke in, only to discover that the leader of Huayang Sect had been assassinated in his room.

"The killer used none other than the Heavenly Spring Heart-Cleansing Sword!!"

The Tianqu resident gossip usually enjoyed keeping people in suspense and watching their anxious reactions, but he knew this news was extraordinary, so he blurted it out all at once.

The crowd fell silent, processing the news.

After a few moments, murmurs erupted from the crowd.

"How could this be?"

"The leader of Huayang Sect has always had a good reputation. How could he possibly have gotten into a conflict with Wan Zangxin?"

"Could the leader of Huayang Sect have been the one who attacked Wan Zangxin last night?"

"That shouldn’t be the case. Not long ago, Wan Zangxin helped Huayang Sect root out a spy within the sect.

"This incident sent shockwaves through the community. After the leader of Huayang Sect checked into the Penglai Guesthouse yesterday, he didn’t want to disturb Wan Zangxin, who was focused on preparing for the upcoming battle, so he didn’t visit.

"However, Wan Zangxin took the initiative to visit the old sect leader.

"Given their relationship, it seems unlikely that Wan Zangxin would have attacked him so ruthlessly.

"Besides, when did the old sect leader learn such advanced sword techniques?

"What’s really happening here?"

As the crowd discussed, they couldn’t help but look at the Tianqu Informant.

Just as the Tianqu Informant was about to respond, another person arrived at the door.

When the crowd looked up, they were quite surprised.

"It’s Luo Changsheng of the Distant Mountain Sword Sect!"

"For the past month, the Distant Mountain Sword Sect has been in charge of Tianqu City, handling all affairs. Could his sudden visit be connected to the Huayang Sect’s leader?"

Just as they were speaking, Luo Changsheng entered the inn’s main hall.

His gaze swept over the crowd, and he asked,

"May I ask which one is Su Mo, Chief Escort of the Ziyang Escort Bureau?"