Chapter 243: Unraveling the Threads

Chapter 243: Unraveling the Threads

Chief Escort Su's words were mostly unremarkable, except for one thing.

Wan Zangxin's heart had long been deadened.

However, the last sentence hit him like a bolt of lightning.

Could Wan Yilan truly be his sister?

He whirled around to face Su Mo:

"Chief Escort Su... could there still be some trickery in this?"

His eyes were filled with hope, desperate for even a sliver of reassurance from Su Mo.

Su Mo, however, shook his head slowly:

"At this point, I dare not make any definitive claims, but we can go over this carefully."

Wan Zangxin took a deep breath: "Please, Chief Escort Su, guide me through this."

Su Mo pondered for a moment, gathering his thoughts before asking:

"Would you say the Night Lord is a good person?"

"..."

Wan Zangxin shook his head: "Although the Night Lord treated me well, he is a schemer, ruthless, and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

"The various mysterious and bizarre techniques within Evernight Valley are incredibly gruesome.

"Tricks involving human skin and shadow magic are part of this.

"While not as extreme as the Youquan Cult, which uses living people in their rituals,

"the cruelty is, in certain respects, even more severe.

"Given that he is the master of Evernight Valley, he’s hardly what you’d call a good person."

Su Mo nodded: "Then let me ask you, has he ever treated anyone else the way he treated you?"

"Well..."

Wan Zangxin shook his head: "I don't know, but I doubt it."

"Then why you, specifically?"

"Why... just me?"

Wan Zangxin repeated Su Mo’s words softly, his face filled with confusion.

Then, he looked at Su Mo and asked desperately:

"Is it because... because I’m Wan Yutang's son?"

"That explanation is not the whole story."

Su Mo slightly shook his head: "However, you must have a connection to Wusheng Hall that others are unaware of, and the Night Lord knew about this, which is why he went to such lengths to bring you here."

"He treated you exceptionally well, aiming to make you feel deeply indebted, which would make it much easier for him to act later."

This point hardly needs further explanation.

Given Wan Zangxin's actions, if the Night Lord hadn't treated him so well, why would he have revealed the entire Tianquan Heart-Cleansing Sword?

Though his youthful inexperience led to seventeen flaws in the sword technique, these flaws don’t diminish its brilliance, and the Night Lord still got the full Tianquan Heart-Cleansing Sword.

Though under the Tianquan Elder’s guidance, Wan Zangxin had grown beyond being a willful youth who valued gratitude over the bigger picture, he still struggled between the Night Lord’s kindness and his own moral compass.

This proves the Night Lord truly treated him well.

So, after hearing Su Mo’s words, Wan Zangxin nodded in agreement.

Su Mo then continued, "There’s another important matter I need to ask you about."

"Chief Escort Su, go ahead and ask. Right now, I’ll tell you everything I know, no holds barred!"

"Good."

Su Mo nodded slightly, "You mentioned that after Ren Xiongfei got drunk, he told you Wan Yutang used the alias Wan Renshan in his youth. Did you look into it afterward?"

"I..."

Wan Zangxin was stunned, "At the time, I was too stunned to even consider investigating."

Su Mo shot Wan Zangxin a puzzled look, momentarily speechless.

How could anyone believe such a major claim based on one person’s word?

Given Wan Zangxin’s situation, it’s understandable he wouldn’t suspect Ren Xiongfei of lying.

But Su Mo would’ve sought multiple confirmations and tested Wan Yutang’s reaction in secret.

Unless Wan Yutang himself admitted to being Wan Renshan, he’d never take anyone’s word at face value.

Still, given Wan Zangxin’s state, it’s somewhat understandable.

He lost his father young, his mother passed early, and after a brief time with the Night Lord, he was sent to train under the Tianquan Elder.

Since then, he’d trained under the Tianquan Elder. He wasn’t naive, but he lacked real-world experience in the martial world.

Let alone any experience with romantic relationships.

Falling for a girl, even with ten points of wisdom, he’d barely use one.

At this thought, Su Mo shook his head and smiled.

"Ren Xiongfei’s identity is dubious, and his words can’t be trusted."

"Chief Escort Su, you said Ren Xiongfei stirred up people from the western frontier to infiltrate the Fallen Phoenix Alliance’s territory and cause trouble."

"What’s that all about?"

Wan Zangxin listened to Su Mo's words, and his mind, which had initially ceased to function, finally started working again.

Su Mo gestured with his hand:

"Let's set this matter aside for now. I have another question for you..."

He hesitated slightly but proceeded to ask, "When did your mother pass away? How long did you roam the streets after that?"

"This..."

Wan Zangxin frowned slightly: "I was very young at the time, and many things are hazy in my memory. After my mother passed away, I was in a daze, unsure of what to do. I remained by her body for several months, until... until... ah."

At this point, he couldn't continue, only saying, "After that, I roamed the streets for about a year or two."

"A year or two."

Su Mo nodded, but his brows furrowed slightly:

"You were young at the time, and your memories are unclear. If he had known about your ties to Wusheng Hall early on, he should have taken care of your mother's funeral arrangements himself.

"Then, by bringing you into Evernight Valley to raise you, it would have been easier for him to control you.

"From this perspective, it appears he might not have known about it from the start.

"He likely found out later and then took time to locate you...

"However, he wouldn't have devoted so much effort to this matter. If he hadn't found you within that year or two, he could have found someone else to fulfill this role.

"But ultimately, he did find you."

Su Mo sighed softly:

"Then, another question emerges."

"..."

Wan Zangxin felt his brain was no longer up to the task.

When Su Mo spoke, he felt that Su Mo was correct, and it made perfect sense!

But before Su Mo spoke, he couldn't predict what Su Mo would say next.

"How did the Night Lord become aware of this?"

Su Mo suddenly looked at Wan Zangxin: "Let's first assume that Wan Yutang is actually Wan Renshan.

"After having you with your mother, why didn't he return for you?

"Based on the timeline, this occurred at least twenty years ago...

"Your mother once said that your father returned to his origins to do something very important.

"Twenty years ago, we don't know much about other occurrences, but as far as I know, the most significant event in Wusheng Hall at that time was the transfer of power!

"Wan Yutang ascended to the position of hall master in Wusheng Hall twenty-two years ago!"

This matter was no secret.

Wusheng Hall borders the Fallen Phoenix Alliance, and members of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance might not be well-informed about other matters.

But how could they miss the leadership change in Wusheng Hall?

Whether it's the Heavenly Blade Sect, the Fallen Phoenix Alliance, or Wusheng Hall.

Even the factions in the eastern part of East City.

Leadership transitions are never done quietly.

It’s not just a big spectacle—it’s a public announcement to the entire martial world, inviting allies from all corners to witness the ceremony.

Of course, small sects and families might be ignored, and even if they heard, they might not care.

But if you don’t know who’s leading the seven major sects, or who heads the Fallen Phoenix Alliance and the Heavenly Blade Sect, it could easily cause misunderstandings.

And such misunderstandings can sometimes be fatal.

Wan Zangxin struggled to follow Su Mo’s reasoning and grew increasingly frustrated:

"So, after becoming hall master, he just left my mother and me?"

Su Mo glanced at Wan Zangxin:

"For now, it’s just a theory. Don’t jump to conclusions.

"Besides, based on this theory, it’s unclear if it was abandonment or something else.

"Since you’ve been part of Wusheng Hall, you should understand how brutal the internal conflicts in a sect can be.

"Back then, Wan Yutang had just taken the position, maybe because things were unstable or he was overwhelmed.

"That’s why he couldn’t come for you."

"If that’s true, it adds up."

Wan Zangxin said this, but then shook his head: "But he’s been in this position for years—why hasn’t he searched for us?"

"...Are you certain he hasn’t tried to find you?"

Su Mo frowned slightly: "What really puzzles me is, since he went by the alias Wan Renshan when he met your mother, this affair must have been highly confidential.

"Even if the Night Lord is all-knowing, how could he know the details of this?

"So... I have three suspicions."

Wan Zangxin looked at Su Mo and gradually caught up with his thoughts:

"Chief Escort Su, are you saying that after he stabilized the situation, he wanted to come back for my mother and me.

"But my mother had already passed away.

"And I was wandering the streets, so he couldn’t find me?"

"Exactly."

Su Mo nodded: "That’s the first point. And in the process of looking for you, he left traces. The Night Lord discovered this and thus followed the clues to find you first.

"After all, the Night Lord has been plotting in East City for many years and knows it far better than Wan Yutang."

"However... this possibility now seems highly unlikely."

"Why?" Wan Zangxin blurted out.

If, as Su Mo suggested, Wan Yutang didn’t abandon them but simply arrived too late, then he... at least wasn’t the kind of man to abandon his wife and child.

No one would want their father to be like that.

Even though Wan Zangxin had confessed to the grave mistake of falling in love with his own sister.

If Wan Yutang were not his biological father, then there might still be a chance.

But... in this case, he’d rather admit his own mistakes, hoping his father wasn’t a bad person.

Yet, the complexity of these thoughts is difficult to put into words.

"According to your account, the Night Lord has been looking for you for a year or two at most.

"And how could a father searching for his son be any less determined than the Night Lord?

"If I had a son, and he went missing in East City..."

He paused, feeling this might not be a fortunate thing to say, but still shook his head:

"If something like that really happened, and I’d already secured my position by then,

"I’d certainly keep searching, one year, two years, even ten years if necessary.

"I’d never give up until I found him!

"How could I just stop and turn a blind eye?

"Unless there is still some hidden factor in this that we are unaware of."

Wan Zangxin nodded, realizing that what had seemed like a done deal now felt uncertain after Su Mo’s explanation.

The truth might not be as clear-cut as he’d assumed.

For a moment, he felt a spark of hope.

He then asked, "Chief Escort Su mentioned three suspicions. This is the first—what are the other two?"

"The second suspicion...

"When Wan Yutang first took power, he couldn’t leave Wusheng Hall to meet you and your mother in East City because he needed to stabilize the situation.

"But was there really no contact at all during that time?

"And maybe something went wrong along the way, which the Night Lord eventually found out about.

"But if that’s true, it could point to something else..."

"What do you mean?" Wan Zangxin struggled to keep up with the logic.

Su Mo looked at Wan Zangxin: "Evernight Valley had indeed long planted spies within Wusheng Hall."

If Wan Yutang had been in correspondence with Wan Zangxin's mother,

Even if there were some mishap with the correspondence, falling into someone else's hands, the chance of it eventually reaching the Night Lord would be slim.

But if the Night Lord had already planted agents within Wusheng Hall, under certain circumstances, obtaining this information would be quite possible.

From the current state of affairs, the Night Lord's activities in the southwest were not recent.

The likelihood of this scenario has greatly increased.

Upon hearing this, Wan Zangxin's expression became complex:

"If it's truly as Chief Escort Su has said, then for me, it would be a comforting thing.

"By the way, Chief Escort Su mentioned a third possibility?

"What might that possibility be?"

"...The third possibility."

Su Mo glanced at Wan Zangxin: "The third possibility is that Wan Yutang might not be your father.

"Your true father is someone else!

"The Night Lord initially used you to acquire the Heavenly Spring Heart-Cleansing Sword and had you master this skill.

"Then, aware of a young princess within Wusheng Hall, a neighbor's daughter just coming of age,

"He exploited your eagerness to find your father, smoothly leading you into Wusheng Hall.

"I previously mentioned that Ren Xiongfei's identity is questionable.

"If he is the Night Lord's agent planted within Wusheng Hall...

"Then your entire entry into Wusheng Hall was likely orchestrated by the Night Lord.

"Ren Xiongfei is the deputy master of the Tenth Hall and coincidentally took on the responsibility of teaching Wan Yilan martial arts.

"You found yourself right beside Ren Xiongfei.

"Thereby meeting Wan Yilan.

"Two young people of similar age developing feelings over time is not uncommon.

"Intriguingly, Ren Xiongfei often had pressing matters, leaving you to spar with Wan Yilan.

"Frankly..."

Su Mo looked at Wan Zangxin: "Since Brother Wan had infiltrated Wusheng Hall, naturally, your Heavenly Spring Heart-Cleansing Sword techniques could not be revealed.

"Rumors in the martial world suggest you are merely an unknown disciple of Wusheng Hall.

"This shows that your identity within Wusheng Hall is nothing special.

"At least on the surface, there should be many with higher martial skills than you, so why didn't Ren Xiongfei have them spar with Wan Yilan, but chose you?

"And, did he truly not know the concept of propriety between men and women?"

Wan Zangxin's expression shifted several times: "He... actually went this far with his schemes?"

Su Mo sighed: "You really can't underestimate the Night Lord. He's playing a big game, setting up moves all over the place.

"You mentioned earlier that he told you his ambitions were huge.

"That probably includes the whole Eastern Wilderness.

"If he's really that kind of person, any scheme he comes up with wouldn't be a shock."

"But... what's he really after?"

Wan Zangxin couldn't help but ask: "If he just wanted to kill me, he wouldn't need to go through all this trouble."

"...It's not about killing you; it's about taking down Wusheng Hall."

Su Mo frowned and said: "Think about it: after the Tianquan Sword Debate, no matter what happens, that impostor's position would be solid.

"What if it comes out that you were involved with Wan Yilan and you're Wan Yutang's son?"

At first, Wan Zangxin was slightly stunned, but after a moment, his pupils sharply contracted:

"A lot of people would want to know the truth, right?"

Rumors like that hit people's deepest taboos and would cause a huge scandal if they got out.

"And if the impostor actually admits to it, what happens then?"

"..."

Wan Zangxin's gaze was horrified: "If this gets out, Wusheng Hall will be in total chaos.

"The head of Wusheng Hall, with his family in shambles, his kids...

"How could he keep the respect of his people after that?

"And if Ren Xiongfei is really a spy from Evernight Valley, he could use this chaos to take down Wusheng Hall!

"Gaining a stronghold in the southwest."

Su Mo nodded gently: "When things get chaotic, there's always someone looking to take advantage.

"Right now, with the Fallen Phoenix Alliance leadership up for grabs and Wusheng Hall vulnerable...

"It makes sense the Night Lord would strike now.

"But so far, most of this is just guesswork. We'll probably need to go back to Wusheng Hall to find out the truth.

"Looking at it another way, Brother Wan, your fake death really messed up his plan.

"Part of the Night Lord's plan is out in the open, and you're 'dead' in front of everyone.

"Even with the Thirteenth Sword of Tianquan, he can't use it now.

"And you... just went underground to plan your next move."

Even though there are still a lot of mysteries left...

Wan Zangxin feels like dying now would be a bit premature.

After a moment of thought, he decided and quickly clasped his hands, saying, "Chief Escort Su, I have a bold request, and I hope you'll agree."

"Go ahead, Brother Wan," Su Mo replied with a gentle smile.

Wan Zangxin reached into his robe, pulled out two books, and handed them to Su Mo.

Su Mo's eyes widened in surprise. "What's this?"

"It's the Tianquan Cleansing Heart Sword technique!"