Chapter 225: Senior Brother

Chapter 225: Senior Brother

"Su Mo!?"

"Chief Escort Su of the Zi Yang Escort Agency?"

"Where?"

Luo Changsheng's words sent a shockwave through the room.

Just moments ago, everyone was discussing Su Mo, and now they discovered he was actually present? For a moment, everyone was taken aback and felt a bit awkward.

Many secretly wondered if they had spoken ill of Su Mo earlier and whether he would hold it against them later.

While these thoughts raced through their minds, Su Mo had already risen to his feet. He gave Luo Changsheng a puzzled look.

"This is Su Mo."

"Greetings, Chief Escort Su."

Luo Changsheng clasped his fists, not daring to be negligent. "Could we speak in private for a moment?"

"Certainly."

Su Mo smiled. "Why don't we go upstairs?"

"Yes, please lead the way, Chief Escort Su."

Luo Changsheng immediately nodded.

Su Mo then looked at Wei Ziyi and the others. "Wait for me here."

They nodded in agreement, and Su Mo led Luo Changsheng to the second floor, to his room.

As the door closed, Su Mo extended his arm in invitation. "Please, Elder Luo."

"I dare not accept that."

Luo Changsheng waved his hand hurriedly, his attitude extremely amiable, not daring to regard himself as senior.

Su Mo smiled slightly. "Elder Luo, you are senior to me, and I am still new to this path. Any reputation I have is thanks to the support of senior martial artists in the jianghu. Please, Elder Luo, have some tea."

He poured a cup of tea and pushed it toward Luo Changsheng.

Luo Changsheng received it standing up, not daring to be negligent, and only sat back down after Su Mo had taken his seat.

Su Mo asked, "Elder Luo's sudden visit, is it regarding the matter of Huayang Sect's leader, Zeng Quan?"

"Chief Escort Su is indeed remarkable."

Luo Changsheng sighed. "Indeed, it is about this matter. Last night, around the end of the hour of the ox, Huayang Sect's leader Zeng Quan was killed in his room. The time was verified by the coroner of Tianqu City. The cause of death was a sword thrust through his chest. The killer's sword technique... was the Heavenly Spring Cleansing Heart Sword Technique!"

Su Mo looked at Luo Changsheng. "Are you certain it was a single sword thrust that caused death?"

"Yes."

Luo Changsheng nodded: "According to Wan Zangxin, the move the opponent was hit with is indeed the 'Duo Xin Shi' from the Tianquan Wash-Heart Sword."

"Oh?"

Su Mo smiled slightly: "I've heard that the Tianquan Wash-Heart Sword has no fixed moves. It arises and flows with the heart. You grasp the essence of the sword by letting go of its form, which is how you reach mastery."

"I didn't expect Chief Escort Su to have knowledge in this area as well."

Luo Changsheng smiled: "What I said is indeed a martial arts truth. However, with all martial arts under heaven, to forget the form, one must first master it. Otherwise, how can one speak of forgetting?"

"What you say makes sense."

Su Mo nodded: "That being the case, is the killer Wan Zangxin?"

"Logically speaking, that should be so. However, Wan Zangxin claims that just before 1 AM, he was led away by a master and ended up dozens of miles outside the city, losing track of the person. It caused quite a delay... By the time he returned, it was well past the hour of Yin."

"I've already asked the innkeeper of Penglai Inn about this. He confirmed that there was a lot of commotion in Wan Zangxin's courtyard in the middle of the night. After the hour of Yin, Wan Zangxin did come to him to discuss compensation matters."

"Today, I've come to seek your advice, Chief Escort Su. I've heard that you were also present last night. Can you confirm that just before 7 PM, you were involved in a fight, left Tianqu City, and went outside the city, as Wan Zangxin claimed?"

"That's correct."

There was no reason to deny it. Su Mo and Wei Ziyi had watched those from the Palace of Extreme Bliss die in the mountain hollow by the hour of Yin.

Seeing this, Luo Changsheng finally breathed out but frowned: "But if that's the case, who is the killer?"

"Is there a second person in this world who knows the Tianquan Wash-Heart Sword?"

Su Mo asked casually.

"Naturally, one would have to mention Tianquan Elder."

Luo Changsheng smiled: "However, Tianquan Elder has been living in seclusion for many years. Apart from Wan Zangxin, no one has seen any trace of him in all these years. It's hard to imagine he'd travel all the way to Tianqu City for some unknown reason just to commit a murder, isn't it?"

"That's definitely out of the question."

Su Mo also shook his head: "Does Wan Zangxin have anything to say about this?"

"He insists that he didn't commit the murder."

As Luo Changsheng spoke, he slightly furrowed his brow: "However..."

After saying these two words, he hesitated a little.

Su Mo smiled: "Is there something inconvenient to say?"

"Not at all."

Luo Changsheng shook his head: "Not to mention, your reputation for loyalty and righteousness has reached me even in East City. Given your connection to the Purple Sun Sect, there's nothing we can't talk about openly."

"It's just that what I'm about to say is merely speculation, and I'm unsure if I should say it...

"Forget it. Since you're not an outsider, Chief Escort Su, I'll speak plainly!

"While Wan Zangxin insists he didn't commit the murder, there's clearly more to the story than he's letting on.

"I suspect he knows more but isn't willing to tell me."

"I see..."

Su Mo nodded thoughtfully. "Since that's the case, what is your plan, Senior Luo?"

"Luo Changsheng sighed deeply."

"The situation in Tianqu City is different from other places. Various major martial sects are stationed here. Now, after this incident, the Huayang Sect is insisting on punishing Wan Zangxin severely... But if Wan Zangxin isn't the one responsible, where do we find the actual culprit to give the Huayang Sect a satisfactory explanation?"

"Moreover, the Tianqu Sword Contest is just a few days away."

He seemed to realize he had misspoken and quickly added, "Look at me, what am I saying? This has nothing to do with Chief Escort Su. Yet here I am, unloading my worries on you... I shouldn't be burdening you with this."

"It's alright."

Su Mo shook his head slightly. "However, this situation will need your careful handling, Senior Luo. The Tianqu Sword Contest is causing quite a stir in East City.

"With this incident happening, it's going to be tough to resolve. We must catch the murderer."

"You're absolutely right!"

Luo Changsheng stood up. "Now that I have a clear understanding from Chief Escort Su, I won't take up any more of your time.

"I'll take my leave now and thank you, Chief Escort Su."

"No need for such formality, Senior."

Su Mo personally escorted him downstairs.

Everyone downstairs was waiting, eager to hear what Luo Changsheng and Su Mo had discussed.

Upon seeing them come down, they all held their breath, straining to catch every word.

However, Su Mo only saw Luo Changsheng and the people from the Distant Mountain Sword Sect to the door, without uttering another word.

For a moment, everyone felt let down.

As Su Mo returned from outside the inn, those who wanted to approach him hesitated, given Su Mo's standing, and were hesitant to approach him.

Su Mo simply smiled, returned the greetings with a fist and palm salute, and went back to his seat.

He quickly filled Wei Ziyi and the others in on what Luo Changsheng had told him, repeating what had been said.

He did not use any secret voice transmission, so many of the sharp-eared guests in the inn overheard him.

For a moment, there was inevitable whispering.

"It's been confirmed that the Huayang Sect's leader was killed by the Heavenly Spring Heart-Cleansing Sword. Could anyone else have done it?"

"Indeed, how many people even know how to use the Heavenly Spring Heart-Cleansing Sword?"

"However, it is true that Wan Zangxin was lured away last night, and many people saw this."

"But who actually saw him engage in combat with that person? Their extraordinary lightness skill was such that even Chief Escort Su took a wrong turn while chasing them and did not witness the details of their fight.

"During this time, Wan Zangxin vanished for a while; it's possible he returned swiftly, killed, and then deliberately showed up again!"

From what you're saying, could the murderer really be Wan Zangxin?

"This... who can be certain?"

While the others chatted among themselves, Wei Ziyi’s brow furrowed in concern.

Something about this just didn’t sit right with her.

Yesterday, she and Su Mo had clearly seen Wan Zangxin being killed on a tree.

And then, another Wan Zangxin had come out, alive and well.

And now, the leader of Huayang Sect had been stabbed through the heart with a sword... The manner of death was exactly the same as that of the Wan Zangxin who died last night!?

Could it be that the one who died earlier wasn’t Wan Zangxin, but the leader of Huayang Sect?

She instinctively looked at Su Mo, knowing that he must know something about it.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t saying a word, which only made her more frustrated.

For now, she could only rack her brain for answers.

Meanwhile, Su Mo seemed completely unfazed. He only occasionally glanced at the scar-faced stranger.

The scar-faced stranger seemed to notice and would mimic Su Mo’s expressions and gaze whenever their eyes met, leaving Su Mo both amused and exasperated.

Before they could head back to their rooms after breakfast, hurried footsteps approached the inn again.

This time, it was the Tianqu City informant who entered.

He was out of breath from running and blurted out:

"Something's wrong! The people from Huayang Sect have surrounded the Penglai Inn and are demanding an explanation from the Distant Mountain Sword Sect!"

Hearing this, they quickly got up to check out the commotion.

Wei Ziyi glanced at Su Mo, who nodded. "Come on, let’s go see what’s happening."

The Penglai Inn was only three streets away, and they arrived in no time.

By now, the area was almost completely surrounded. The rooftops, eaves, and streets were all packed with people.

Besides the jianghu spectators, many ordinary folks from Tianqu City had gathered as well.

Su Mo and the others found a spot where they could watch the scene unfold. Just as they settled in, someone from Huayang Sect shouted angrily:

"Hand over Wan Zangxin!"

"That's right! Our sect leader held him in high regard. Even if there was some misunderstanding, couldn’t it have been cleared up? Why resort to violence and murder!?"

"We traveled all the way here from Huayang Sect to support him, only for our sect leader to be brutally killed!"

They shouted, but the people guarding the inn were from the Distant Mountain Sword Sect.

How could they let them in?

They had to patiently explain: "As you said, your sect leader held Wan Zangxin in high regard. Their relationship was clearly a good one, so why would Wan Zangxin bother to kill him?"

"Who knows? Maybe they had a disagreement, and things got out of hand!"

"As fellow members of the jianghu, who doesn’t have a bit of courage?"

"Hmm? Are you implying that we, the Distant Mountain Sword Sect, are acting unreasonably?"

The guards were instantly angered by these words. The other party had been causing a scene for nearly an hour, and it had already stirred up a commotion from all quarters. If this continued, the situation would only escalate.

And as one of the prestigious Seven Great Sects, we’ve already been patient in explaining the situation. Now they were being unreasonable?

Did they really think this was a place where they could act without consequences?

Seeing the stance of the Distant Mountain Sword Sect, the Hua Yang Sect members exchanged glances. For a moment, they seemed to hesitate, as if they were about to back down.

But after glancing around, still feeling unwilling to give up, one of them suddenly burst into loud cries:

"The Distant Mountain Sword Sect, as one of the Seven Great Sects, is treating our humble Hua Yang Sect with disdain and shielding the murderer of our sect leader!"

As soon as this wailing started, the onlookers immediately began to point and whisper about the Distant Mountain Sword Sect.

The guard’s face darkened, and he was just about to shout in anger.

At that moment, Luo Changsheng walked out from the door and quickly said:

"Enough!"

"Uncle!"

"Senior Brother!"

The guards, seeing Luo Changsheng, quickly bowed in respect.

Luo Changsheng waved his hand and, looking at the Hua Yang Sect disciple who was crying, had no choice but to say:

"Everyone, the situation has not yet been fully resolved. It’s too hasty to declare that the murderer is Wan Zangxin."

"Too hasty?"

The Hua Yang Sect disciple said angrily, "May I ask this senior expert, what kind of sword technique did our sect leader die from?"

"…It’s the Tianquan Heart-Cleansing Sword Technique."

Luo Changsheng had no choice but to nod.

"And apart from Wan Zangxin, is there anyone else in the world who can use the Tianquan Heart-Cleansing Sword?"

Here, he paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed. "Yes, there’s also Tianquan Elder. Are you trying to say that Tianquan Elder killed our sect leader?"

"That’s certainly impossible."

"Exactly."

The man stood up and shouted angrily, "Not to mention anything else, in Tianqu City right now, how many people are there who can use the Tianquan Heart-Cleansing Sword and have the ability to kill our sect leader?

"If you say this is a setup, the Tianquan Heart-Cleansing Sword is undeniably real.

"The murderer must be Wan Zangxin!

"The Distant Mountain Sword Sect is in charge of overseeing all matters in Tianqu City, but now they are shielding the real murderer and refusing to give an explanation. Are they worried that the Tianqu Sword Contest cannot proceed?

"Or are they afraid of offending Wan Zangxin?" The killer can only be Wan Zangxin!

"To be honest, our Hua Yang Sect may not be as powerful or influential as the Seven Great Sects.

"But we all have a burning passion for justice. If the Seven Great Sects don't stand in our way, we'll take matters into our own hands and hold Wan Zangxin accountable!"

"This..."

Luo Changsheng sighed deeply and said, "Please give us a few days. I’ll make sure you get justice!"

"Justice?"

The Hua Yang Sect disciple laughed loudly, tears streaming down his face. "Where is the justice in this world?

"The world is vast, and the jianghu has endured for centuries, but it’s nothing but darkness. How can anyone find justice in this world?

"With our sect leader’s death crying out for vengeance, we can’t even act. What kind of justice is this?

"In a world like this, in a jianghu like this... what am I supposed to do?

"Sect leader, I’m useless! I can’t avenge you.

"Today, I have no other choice but to follow you to the afterlife, so I don’t dishonor my life!"

As he spoke, he suddenly looked up at everyone.

Luo Changsheng's expression changed. "No, you..."

But before he could finish, the disciple's face turned pale, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, falling to the ground dead.

He had forcefully ended his own heart meridian and died on the spot!

"No!"

Luo Changsheng stomped his feet in frustration. "How... how could he be so impulsive!?"

"Brother, brother!"

The remaining Hua Yang Sect disciples gathered around the body, crying out in despair.

"Our Hua Yang Sect stands proudly in this world. We may not have contributed to East City or to the ordinary folks.

"But we have never fallen behind in the fight between good and evil with our burning passion!

"We have never disgraced our martial skills, so how could we end up like this!?

"Wan Zangxin, Wan Zangxin, have you truly hidden your heart away?

"Why don’t you show yourself!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a loud noise above, and a figure jumped out of the window.

Landing on the ground, the person looked at the corpse with deep compassion.

The Hua Yang Sect members glared at him with gritted teeth.

"Wan Zangxin!!!"

Luo Changsheng, seeing this, felt his head spin even more: "Why are you here too?"

Wan Zangxin glanced at Luo Changsheng, shook his head slightly, and returned his gaze to the corpse of the Huayang Gate member, letting out a soft sigh:

"I did not kill Bo Ren, but his death is on my hands.

"At this point, how could I possibly remain hidden any longer?

"Enough, enough...

"Since everyone seeks an explanation, I, Wan, will give you all an explanation!"

At these words, all eyes turned to Wan Zangxin.

They saw Wan Zangxin looking at the Huayang Gate members with a compassionate expression:

"Gentlemen, when I returned to East City from Wusheng Hall, my first stop was Huayang Gate.

"The sect leader and I were close, despite the gap in our ages; how could I bear to harm him?

"In truth... there is another secret involved.

"I had intended to resolve it myself and provide an explanation afterward.

"But I never expected another tragedy to unfold!

"To clear up any further misunderstandings, I must explain everything in detail.

"The person who killed last night was not me.

"But... it was my eldest senior brother!"

My eldest senior brother had intruded into Evernight Valley years ago, attempting to kill the Night Monarch, only to be slain by him. How could he appear in Tianqu City to commit murder?

Su Mo narrowed his eyes, then a cold snort echoed from beside him. Startled, Su Mo turned to see a man in a conical hat, sword in hand, standing nearby.