Chapter 231: Situ in Distress

Chapter 231: Situ in Distress

Upon hearing this, Su Mo and Wan Zangxin exchanged a glance, unable to hide their concern.

At the Moon-Viewing Platform of the Cold Moon Palace, after the battle between Liu Suifeng and the Third Palace Master, Little Situ parted ways with them.

She intended to experience the life of the martial world on her own.

But who could have known what she encountered?

Her words hinted that she had hit rock bottom.

At this thought, Su Mo let out a deep breath, trying to relax.

The four girls and Little Situ were by no means ordinary. They immediately sensed that there was someone else in the cave!?

"Who!?"

"Come out!"

The four girls raised their swords and shouted sharply.

Su Mo coughed and stepped forward with Wan Zangxin:

"It's me."

"Chief Escort Su!?"

The expressions on the four girls' faces shifted immediately.

But the looks on their faces struck Su Mo as odd. Their relief was mixed with quite a bit of hesitation.

Their eyes narrowed further when they landed on Wan Zangxin, revealing heightened suspicion.

However, seeing Su Mo, Little Situ's face lit up with surprise:

"Chief Escort Su... How come you're here?"

"It was just by chance that I was here seeking shelter from the rain.

"I heard someone moving through the rain at night and, worried it might be an enemy, I decided to stay hidden for a while."

Su Mo said, cupping his fists.

Wan Zangxin also nodded: "Chief Escort Su was busy with my affairs tonight. What’s going on with Little Situ?"

"You... You're healed?"

Seeing that Wan Zangxin was no longer disguised and spoke completely normally, Little Situ couldn't help but smile, her eyes filled with a hint of joy.

"Thanks for asking after me."

Wan Zangxin cupped his fists and said, "Your kindness has given me a second chance at life. In the future, I will repay this great kindness, even if it means going to great lengths."

Hearing this, Su Mo's brow furrowed slightly.

Little Situ smiled and said, "As a healer, my heart is like that of a parent's. Seeing you safe and sound fills me with endless joy, not to mention any gratitude..."

He paused gently as he spoke, then sighed, "Moreover, I've recently been betrayed and I'm afraid I may not have much time left. If there really is an afterlife, who knows where I'll be."

"Don't say such ominous things."

Su Mo quickly said, "What exactly is going on with you all? What's wrong with him?"

The four girls instinctively glanced at Little Situ.

Little Situ stared blankly at Su Mo, not saying anything, gently biting her lower lip as if deep in thought.

"Young master?"

One of the girls, after looking at Little Situ, then at Su Mo, seemed to make up her mind and softly spoke,

"This matter has to start from a few days ago.

That day, we were about to reach Tianqu City, just a few dozen miles away.

Unexpectedly, near a mountain bend, we saw several strangely dressed men and women attacking a large monk.

Although the monk looked fierce and his martial arts were brutal,

in his speech, he constantly urged people to do good, hoping that these people would lay down their weapons and turn back from their evil ways.

But instead of listening, they not only ignored him but also spoke vile words.

In the jianghu, one shouldn't meddle in others' affairs lightly, but during their conversation, we overheard them claiming to be from the East City cult.

Though we rarely venture into the jianghu, we've learned that the East City cult is notorious for its heinous crimes.

Although the monk appeared fierce, being an enemy of such people might not mean he was a bad person.

So, we decided to help.

Those heretics from the East City cult were formidable.

They could bewitch minds with seductive music, making it unbearable for people."

As she spoke, she slightly furrowed her brow but continued,

"Noticing the monk's severe injuries, our young master decided not to engage with them any longer. So, he used poisonous smoke to blind their eyes, creating an opportunity to escape.

Afterward, we found a safe place to treat the monk's injuries.

Sadly, despite our young master's best efforts, the monk's injuries were too severe to save him.

He could only give the monk a moment of peace before he died, allowing him to reveal his background and unfinished business.

That monk... claimed to be Huibian."

"Huibian!?"

Su Mo was clearly startled upon hearing that name, "Are you sure it was Huibian?"

"Does Chief Escort Su know this monk?"

The girl was stunned when she heard this and looked at Su Mo.

Su Mo nodded.

Master Red Cloud had mentioned this name outside Jiaolong Water Village.

And this person... was none other than Ning Wubian, the arrogant one who caused trouble at Red Cloud Temple that day!

His secular name was Ning Wubian, and Master Red Cloud gave him the dharma name Hui Bian.

Su Mo remembered it after hearing it that day.

But he didn’t expect to hear this name again only now!

By this time, Su Mo also understood that the commotion in the mountain ravine that day was actually caused by Little Situ and the others fighting with the cult members from the Extreme Joy Heaven Palace.

However, when Su Mo and Wei Ziyi arrived, Little Situ and the others had already made their escape.

Only the members of the Extreme Joy Heaven Palace, who had been blinded by the poisonous smoke, remained, searching for any sign of them.

Unfortunately, Su Mo and the others were one step too slow and failed to meet them.

These thoughts in his mind only lingered for a moment.

The girl didn’t dwell on this issue either and continued directly:

"Hui Bian said he came from the Red Cloud Temple in the southwest and accompanied Master Red Cloud to East City to convert the cult members there.

"At first, things were going smoothly.

"This group of people were highly skilled, not ordinary individuals.

"Despite the cult members being powerful and using strange techniques, they couldn’t do much against them.

"As they went deeper into enemy territory, they achieved some success.

"But while it's easy to defend against open attacks, it's harder to guard against hidden schemes, and they were eventually ambushed.

"The ones who ambushed them were the experts from the Extreme Joy Heaven Palace.

"They used ordinary people as bait to lure Master Red Cloud and the others to Jifen Mountain, which was over a hundred miles away.

"There, they set up an ambush using poisonous smoke and formations to trap them.

"This happened ten days ago.

"By the time we saw Hui Bian, almost seven days had passed.

"With nothing to eat in the mountains, they survived on tree bark and grass roots.

"Master Red Cloud had long believed that this mission to East City to subdue the demons was his destiny, even if it cost him his life.

"However, he couldn’t bear to see the miserable situation of his disciples, so he made one last effort to try and send them out.

"But after exhausting all his strength, he could only manage to send out a dozen or so people.

"In the end, only Hui Bian escaped!"

Su Mo furrowed his brow, feeling uneasy. Upon arriving in Tianqu City and finding no information about the old monk, he had already sensed that something was amiss.

However, the lack of information could also be considered a good sign, so he managed to remain calm.

With Wan Zangxin's affairs demanding his attention, Su Mo didn't focus too much on inquiring further.

Unexpectedly, Master Red Cloud fell into another trap set by the cult members.

For a moment, he couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness.

Compared to the malicious schemes of the cult members, Master Red Cloud was indeed having a hard time countering them.

The girl continued,

"After barely finishing these words, Hui Bian died on the spot.

"Before his death, he said that he was once a bandit in the mountains, full of sins that could never be repaid.

"His death was simply retribution.

"However, Master Red Cloud was a great Buddhist master, and it was truly unjust for him to suffer such calamity. He hoped we could find a way to save Master Red Cloud.

"And this matter..."

At this point, she couldn't help but glance at Little Situ.

At some point, Little Situ's eyes had turned a faint red. She sighed before speaking, "This is on me...

"Along the way with Chief Escort Su, I experienced much of the right and wrong of the jianghu.

"I began to underestimate the Blissful Heaven Palace.

"I wanted Chief Escort Su to think highly of me.

"After all, we had agreed to meet again in Tianqu City. If I could save so many people, Chief Escort Su would surely admire me, right?"

"This..."

Chief Escort Su was momentarily speechless. "You really didn't consider this carefully. Back then, I was already in Tianqu City. You should have sought my help once you knew about the situation."

"Yes," Little Situ said, her face full of shame. "But, alas... I acted on my own, taking a few of my sisters to rescue the monks.

"The array from Blissful Heaven Palace wasn’t much of a threat, and the poison smoke was something I could handle.

"However, some things are not just about poison.

"I had little experience in this field since I was young, and my elders strictly forbade it.

"As a result, I was ambushed and had no means to create an antidote.

"The experts behind were closing in, giving me no time.

"I was truly at my wit's end, but I didn't expect to meet Chief Escort Su here. It seems like there's still hope."

As she spoke, her brows suddenly furrowed.

He reached out and grabbed his chest, the veins on his hand bulging, his face contorted in agony.

"Master!"

The four girls quickly gathered around him.

Little Situ weakly waved his hand:

"I can barely hang on... I..."

Just as he spoke, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

"Little Situ!"

Both Su Mo and Wan Zangxin's faces darkened. Just as they were about to step forward, the four girls instinctively blocked them:

"Stop!"

Su Mo was stunned. "What's going on with Little Situ? What kind of poison did he get hit with? He's a top disciple of Suspension Pot Pavilion, so how could there be a poison in this world that can reduce him to such a state?

"Why are you stopping us from getting closer?"

The four girls struggled to explain.

They simply said, "What the young master has been poisoned with isn't entirely a toxin... this..."

As they spoke, Su Mo suddenly glanced toward the cave entrance:

"Someone's coming!"

"Those must be the people chasing us."

The four girls' expressions flickered, their faces shifting rapidly as if remembering something.

Wan Zangxin was equally perplexed, and even Su Mo, who was usually sharp-witted, couldn't figure out what was going on at this moment.

"We need to handle these newcomers first."

Su Mo didn't want to delay. "Then I’ll take Little Situ back to Tianqu City. We can find whatever we need there."

"It's too late for that..."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the sound of rushing wind was heard outside the cave.

Immediately after, a rough male voice echoed into the cave:

"A few little girls, you sure can run."

As the voice continued, it suddenly transformed into a seductive female tone:

"But running to this point, you must be at your limit, right?

"The young girl pretending to be a boy has been poisoned with the 'Wind of a Single Night in the Small Tower.'

"Unbind the Silken Gown, hoping for your glory."

A stormy night in the small building!

"Even if your medical skills are divine, our Elysium Heavenly Palace's..."

At this point, the voice suddenly turned into that of a rough man:

"Our palace’s treasure—there’s nothing you can do about it!

"Come out now, or else you’ll lose your life for nothing."

The latter part of what he said was no longer on Su Mo and Wan Zangxin's minds.

When they heard 'dressed as a man,' it felt like a bolt of lightning.

They instinctively looked at Little Situ...

Little Situ took a deep breath and pressed a few acupoints on her body:

"I think... I can still... hold on..."

Su Mo's expression changed, and he took a deep breath:

"I'll be right back."

Right now, it wasn’t the time to worry about whether Little Situ was a man or a woman.

Now, time was the most pressing issue.

If only they hadn’t let the girls explain everything so thoroughly earlier.

However, Su Mo also knew...

The girl had spoken very quickly, and although she said a lot, she made everything clear in just a brief moment.

There wasn’t enough time to get back to Tianqu City from here.

This was also why they had almost given up on the idea after arriving here.

After Su Mo left the cave, he heard footsteps behind him.

He turned around and saw Wan Zangxin.

Slightly surprised, he asked: "Why did you come out as well?"

"Little Situ saved my life too... How could I let her pursuer escape?"

As Wan Zangxin finished speaking, they heard a voice from the opposite side:

"Who are you? Where are my girls?"

They looked up to see a figure standing in the rain, dressed in an incredibly strange way.

The person was divided in half, with one side dressed as a man and the other as a woman.

According to the natural order of yin and yang, the left side represents yang, while the right represents yin.

His attire followed this pattern, with the left side in men's clothing and the right in women's.

But his face was reversed—the left side had a feminine appearance, while the right side had a masculine one.

Yin and yang were utterly confused in this person.

Su Mo looked up at him and gave a slight nod:

"My apologies."

In the next moment, he had already stepped in front of the person.

He raised his hand and delivered a palm strike.

"Hmm?"

The person opposite was genuinely confused.

Where did this brash young man come from?

Attacking without even introducing himself—what nerve!

He hadn’t even stated his name yet, why was he in such a hurry to die?

Despite his youth, he was quite good-looking. Maybe after capturing him, he could take him back as a prize...

As these thoughts raced through his mind, he saw Su Mo's palm strike. As his hand extended, everything appeared normal.

However, halfway through the strike, the wind and rain began to swirl around it.

Centered on this, it was as if all the air from the surroundings was being drawn away.

Raindrops started to gather in front of his palm, but before they fully formed, Su Mo's hand had already pierced through them.

The droplets only had time to swirl around Su Mo's arm.

This bizarre phenomenon instantly alarmed the expert from the Extreme Joy Palace.

This isn't good!

This was not some naive youngster who didn’t know the ways of the world.

This was a master who had come out of nowhere!

Immediately abandoning all distracting thoughts, he formed different hand seals with both hands in an instant.

One was yin, the other yang.

Together, they formed the union of yin and yang.

The person standing in front of Su Mo was no ordinary individual.

Indeed, he was one of the top experts in the Extreme Joy Palace—Chayuanjun!

This person, due to his innate characteristics, had managed to push the Heaven-Earth Grand Harmony Scripture, a martial art from the Extreme Joy Palace that no one had been able to cultivate since its creator, to an extremely high level.

Using this martial art, he had earned quite a reputation.

He wouldn’t be here unless he suspected Master Red Cloud had secretly taken Gu Biyuan.

At this very moment, he was using a move from the Heaven-Earth Grand Harmony Scripture—Heaven and Earth Union!

One hand represents yang, symbolizing the heavens!

With one hand as Yin, symbolizing the earth!

When the two seals combine, it's the merging of heaven and earth!

As the seal was completed, the rain behind him swirled into a large circle.

In what felt like slow motion but happened in an instant, Su Mo's palm clashed with Chai Yuanjun's Heaven and Earth Merger.

Boom!!!!

The muffled boom echoed through the rain, making it roar even louder.

Chai Yuanjun felt an overwhelming, unstoppable force, like the torrents of heaven and earth, crashing into her!

In an instant, the sleeves of her arms shattered inch by inch.

The rain curtain around them flew in all directions from the center of their palms.

Raindrops infused with internal energy pierced through trees and left deep craters in the stones.

Wan Zangxin had no choice but to draw his sword, sending out flashes of light.

The clang of swords rang out continuously.

For a moment, he couldn't help being stunned.

However, while Wan Zangxin was shocked, Su Mo was somewhat surprised.

Although his palm strike hadn't utilized his full strength, it was by no means something an ordinary person could withstand. He had believed that a single strike would be enough to kill Chai Yuanjun.

To his surprise, Chai Yuanjun survived the strike.

Su Mo nodded, closed in again, and threw a punch.

A myriad of fist shadows scattered across the sky, then condensed into a single point.

Chai Yuanjun felt as if she'd seen a ghost!

That palm had already taken half of her life, yet this person casually threw out attacks with such overwhelming power.

With the fist wind covering her, she had no way to dodge. Gritting her teeth, she once again formed the Heaven and Earth Merger.

However, its power was nowhere near what it had been the first time.

Boom!!!

Before Su Mo's iron fist, it was as if even the merging of heaven and earth could be broken apart by his punch.

How much less so for Chai Yuanjun's mere flesh palms?

This time, she couldn't defend herself, and Su Mo's fist slammed into her chest.

It hit the Tan Zhong point directly!

The Seven Injuries Fist's power surged into her body, disrupting the balance of yin, yang, and the five elements.

Chai Yuanjun's face changed drastically, and she was instantly sent flying backward.

While still in the air, a loud explosion echoed, and she shattered into a sky full of blood mist.