Chapter 268: Rumors

Chapter 268: Rumors

Su Mo held the short sword, his fingertips brushing along the edge of the blade, then flicked it with a snap.

Buzz!!

The sword's hum instantly reverberated.

This sword’s design was truly unlike any ordinary sword.

The blade was short, seemingly flat at first glance, but closer inspection revealed subtle curves and intricate textures.

The material was extraordinary too; under the starlight, its reflections were faint and elusive.

"Interesting," Su Mo murmured with a slight nod, his gaze shifting to the white-robed swordsman opposite him.

"Who are you?"

As he spoke, he casually tapped a pressure point, unsealing the man’s ability to speak.

Though now able to speak, the white-robed swordsman stayed silent, his gaze fixed on Su Mo.

Su Mo’s eyebrow twitched slightly, and in a flash, his short sword slipped between the swordsman’s lips and teeth. A slight tilt of the blade created a narrow opening.

Peering inside, he saw the tongue unharmed:

"Talk."

Su Mo pulled the sword back, his eyes locked on the man before him.

He executed the move with effortless ease.

Yet, Xu Lu, watching from the sidelines, was utterly stunned.

The move appeared simple, but it showcased Su Mo’s unparalleled swordsmanship.

The blade slid between the lips and teeth, slipping into the tiniest of gaps. The spaces between lips and teeth were subtly distinct.

To thrust the sword without harming lips, teeth, or tongue.

The skill required was far beyond what one might imagine. Only decades of relentless practice could yield such mastery.

Though Xu Lu lacked combat experience, his discernment was sharp. Having roamed the martial world for years, he’d encountered countless masters.

But Su Mo’s effortless display was unlike anything he’d ever witnessed or heard of.

The white-robed swordsman’s eyes widened in astonishment. As a fellow swordsman, he grasped the skill behind that move better than Xu Lu ever could.

After a brief pause, he sighed softly, as if resigning himself to the futility of resistance. But when he opened his mouth, only garbled noises emerged.

Utterly incomprehensible.

"A mute?" Su Mo glanced at Xu Lu.

Xu Lu was taken aback, suddenly remembering when he was in the courtyard, he had frightened them using a corpse.

They did make some indistinct, babbling noises.

He hastily replied, "I... I followed them all the way and really didn't hear them speak."

Su Mo grunted in acknowledgment and approached the man again, forcing his mouth open to inspect it closely.

He then ran his fingers over the man's throat.

Though he lacked Little Situ Taoist's medical expertise, he had basic common sense.

Many people who are mute are actually deaf.

If they can't hear, they can't learn to speak.

However, this man clearly wasn't deaf.

Examining his throat, he found no obvious external injuries, but inside his mouth, faint burn marks were visible.

This man wasn't born mute.

He was rendered mute later.

With this in mind, Su Mo landed and approached another white-robed swordsman he had immobilized.

He yanked him up and performed the same check.

Finally, he let out a soft sigh:

"The same injuries, inflicted by the same method.

"It seems getting any information out of you won't be easy."

With that, he grabbed the man and leapt to the roof, clutching the other white-robed swordsman.

"Let's go, Yang Xiaoyun, we're going back to the inn."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded and followed Su Mo.

Xu Lu stood on the roof, a bit puzzled:

"What about me?"

"Go get some food for Xiaoxiao, and get plenty."

"..."

Xu Lu was stunned: "What if she doesn't like what I get?"

"Then she'll eat you."

"!!!"

Su Mo's offhand joke, Xu Lu took it a bit too seriously.

Given Zhen Xiaoxiao's eating habits, it wouldn't be surprising if she got so hungry she'd grab a live person and eat them.

For a moment, he felt a wave of sadness.

He was just about to turn and leave when he suddenly froze, remembering something crucial.

He spun around, but Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun were already gone.

Standing in the cold wind for a moment, he let out a deep sigh:

"You didn't pay me."

After a lifetime of thievery, he finally understood what it meant to get something for free.

......

......

Inside the inn's guest room.

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun, who had successfully gotten away with it, sat across from each other.

They watched the two white-robed swordsmen writhing in pain.

Yang Xiaoyun glanced at the paper and pen next to her:

"Is it useful?"

These two men were clearly trained this way.

Their sword techniques, actions, and destroyed voices were all deliberate.

If they could still leak secrets through writing under these circumstances, then destroying their voices would be unnecessary.

"We can only try our best."

Su Mo took a sip of tea and shook his head gently:

"Not trying would be regrettable. What if they made a mistake?

"Or what if they thought we'd kill them once we knew they couldn't speak?"

"That's true..."

Yang Xiaoyun blinked and looked at Su Mo.

Su Mo smiled helplessly, knowing his words were unlikely.

After a pause, he asked again:

"Did you notice anything, Yang Xiaoyun?"

Yang Xiaoyun thought for a moment and then shook her head:

"The martial world is rife with conflict, and some live in the shadows.

"Darkness breeds unimaginable evils.

"But such people always act in secrecy, unknown to the common folk."

Su Mo nodded, stood up, and walked over to the two men.

He reached out and relieved them of the Painful Mantra, then pointed at the paper and brush.

The two men were already in so much pain that their faces were pale. Upon seeing the paper and brush, they got the message.

They immediately lunged toward the paper and brush. One of them grabbed it and thrust it toward Su Mo...

Even in a different environment, if they were each given a fine sword, they would still be far from being able to deal with Su Mo, lacking the years of training needed.

Not to mention now, when their acupoints had been sealed, leaving their martial arts powerless?

Su Mo nonchalantly kicked out, and the brush went flying.

Seeing this, the other white-robed swordsman lunged toward the brush again.

He grabbed the brush and, with a swift motion, thrust it toward his own throat.

They couldn't write, and they didn't want to endure the Painful Mantra any longer.

Since they couldn't kill Su Mo, they would kill themselves—rather than keep suffering.

The brush handle pierced his throat, but death wasn't instant.

The man fell to the ground, his eyes showing pain, but mostly relief.

The white-robed swordsman who had initially tried to kill Su Mo, seeing this, stumbled forward and attempted to pull the brush handle out of his companion's neck.

Su Mo gave a slight shake of his head and flicked his finger, hitting the man's Danzhong acupoint.

The man's body trembled, and his head drooped, lifeless.

Su Mo then glanced at the other white-robed swordsman, who was on the verge of death, and delivered a final finger strike, ending his misery swiftly.

Just as he had finished killing the two, a figure leaped in through the window.

As he entered the room, he said:

"I bought a lot of things—the pork knuckle we just had, as well as roasted chicken, roasted duck...

"I’m not sure if she’ll go for it. By the way, if she really wants to eat people, didn't you bring two?

"They’re full of life—probably more appetizing than me."

At this point, he saw the two corpses lying on the ground.

The talk of eating people was just a joke, but seeing the two corpses, Xu Lu felt a pang of regret.

"This... after all that effort tonight, you just killed them like that?"

"Why keep them around? They couldn't speak or write."

Su Mo glanced at Xu Lu: "What happened to you? Did you find these two from Wang Dingsheng's side? With your agility, they shouldn’t have been able to catch you."

"Well..."

Xu Lu hesitated for a moment and could only explain what happened.

Finally, he said: "I couldn’t stand by and let them slaughter innocents, so I jumped in recklessly and blew the plan. I await your punishment, Chief Escort Su."

A flicker of surprise and satisfaction crossed Su Mo’s face.

He tapped the table lightly with his fingers twice:

"Good, Hero Xu, it’s admirable that you took action to stop them from hurting innocent people.

"If I were in your shoes, I probably couldn’t let them kill indiscriminately.

"You did the right thing."

Upon hearing this, Xu Lu finally breathed a sigh of relief; his antidote was secure.

Indeed, even though Chief Escort Su was called a demon by the demons of Eternal Night Valley, even if he’s got a hidden edge to his smile, he still adhered to the rules of the martial world.

He’s one of the good guys.

He’s nothing like those ruthless types.

However, thinking about it, he couldn’t help but wonder: if Su Mo were to become a demon, would he be scarier than the Night Lord?

Just thinking about it gave him the chills.

While he was lost in thought, he heard Su Mo say:

"I need to ask Hero Xu for another favor."

"Chief Escort Su, no need to be formal, just tell me!"

Xu Lu nodded right away.

"Go back to that family, the one these two wanted to kill, and figure out who they are...

"And who’s after them."

"Alright."

Xu Lu agreed immediately, but he paused, glancing at the bags he’d just set on the table.

Su Mo paused for a second and handed Xu Lu a wrapped roast chicken:

"Thanks for handling this."

"...Thank you, Chief Escort Su."

Xu Lu took it quietly, dying a little inside.

Is this roast chicken my payment for this job?

But wait... I’m the one who bought this chicken!

Just as he was about to leave, Su Mo pointed to the two bodies on the ground:

"Take them with you too..."

After Xu Lu left with the bodies and the chicken, Yang Xiaoyun glanced at the closed window, then turned to Su Mo:

"Why does Hero Xu seem a little off to you?

"He follows your orders like he’s your right-hand man."

Su Mo smiled: "I think he’s interested in joining our agency, but he’s too shy to bring it up. Otherwise, he’d have left after we got back to Sunset City..."

"This person’s qinggong is exceptionally skilled. If he joined the escort bureau, he’d be a great asset."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded immediately.

"We’ll see how it goes. He must have some ulterior motive for tagging along on this trip."

Su Mo looked at the food on the table but suddenly didn’t feel like eating.

Ever since they got back, Zhen Xiaoxiao had been snoring like a chainsaw.

You could hear it clearly even through a wall.

Yang Xiaoyun cleared the table.

"I’ll head back and get some rest."

"Wait..."

Su Mo quickly called out: "Why don’t you stay here tonight, Yang Xiaoyun?"

Yang Xiaoyun’s face flushed bright red, but Su Mo had a reason:

"Xiaoxiao’s snoring is so loud, you’ll never get any sleep."

"It’s fine."

Yang Xiaoyun shook her head immediately: "We’re martial artists—we can sleep anywhere, even in a rundown temple or the middle of nowhere. When I was escorting, which of my escorts didn’t snore like a freight train? Occasionally staying in a broken temple, the snoring could wake the dead."

"..."

Su Mo was at a loss for words, then quickly found another excuse:

"But someone just died in this room—I’m freaked out."

"Pfft!"

Yang Xiaoyun couldn’t help but glare at Su Mo before storming off with her stuff.

Su Mo quickly grabbed her: "I’m serious—I’m scared!"

"Wait till I put these snacks away, then I’ll come back..."

Yang Xiaoyun shot Su Mo a look, then slipped out the door.

A moment later, she crept back in...

And so, the night wrapped up.

Neither Su Mo nor Yang Xiaoyun got much sleep last night.

It wasn’t anything weird—they were used to sharing a room.

On the road, someone always had to take watch.

Su Mo crashed first, woke up halfway through the night, and took over the watch, while Yang Xiaoyun kept watch in the first half and slept soundly through the latter half.

By the time they woke up, the sun was already up.

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun got ready to head out when there was a knock at the door.

When the door opened, it was Hu Sandao.

Hu Sandao wasn’t surprised to see Yang Xiaoyun at the door and simply clasped his fists:

"Deputy Chief Escort Yang."

"What’s the hurry this early?"

Yang Xiaoyun's eyebrows raised slightly.

"There’s trouble."

Hu Sandao spoke in a low voice.

"Come in and tell us."

Su Mo's voice came from inside.

Yang Xiaoyun quickly stepped aside, allowing Hu Sandao to enter.

Hu Sandao got straight to the point:

"Last night, news broke out and spread like wildfire across the city. The details of our current escort job have been exposed."

"Really?"

Su Mo's eyebrows raised slightly: "What’s the story?"

"The details are hazy, but this morning, everyone was buzzing about something called Star Sea Legacy Sand Iron.

"They claimed it’s the cargo of our current mission, personally escorted by Chief Escort Su."

"Star Sea Legacy Sand Iron, you say?"

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun exchanged glances, and Yang Xiaoyun couldn’t help but ask:

"This is news to me. Did the rumors say what it’s used for?"

"Hmm..."

Hu Sandao nodded: "They claimed it’s one of the finest materials for crafting weapons. Some even said that among the world’s top ten famous swords... there’s one called Tianlu, forged from this very material."

"Tianlu, huh?"

Yang Xiaoyun was stunned. How did this connect to the world’s top ten famous swords?

Besides, only a handful of people know about the top ten famous swords.

They first learned about these swords from Wei Ziyi.

Even Wei Ziyi, a top disciple of the Cold Moon Palace, only knew of one—Xiangsi!

Now, in Fallen Phoenix Alliance territory, someone with such deep knowledge is surprising.

Still, while surprising, it’s not entirely shocking.

The martial world is teeming with hidden talents.

To think one’s vision is unmatched is to underestimate the world. Yang Xiaoyun instinctively glanced at Su Mo before urging Hu Sandao to continue.

However, the news that Hu Sandao revealed next left Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun stunned.

Last night, the news about the Star Sea Legacy Sand Iron that Su Mo and his team were escorting had already spread like wildfire throughout Jinyang City.

Moreover, given the current state, it would continue to spread to the surrounding areas.

As for the name of the Star Sea Legacy Sand Iron, it was actually uttered by two people.

One was a man who called himself the Wanderer of the Dust, with a mysterious background.

The other was a master blacksmith from the southwest, Huo Liaoyuan!

Huo Liaoyuan, referred to as Master Liaoyuan, was said to be a descendant of the legendary blacksmith Huo Lianshan from East City many years ago.

Back in Tianqu City, the sword-obsessed member of the Youquan Cult's three banners once mentioned that the Seven Star Sword in his hand was forged by Huo Lianshan.

Such tales were mere fabrications.

But Huo Lianshan indeed existed.

It was said that Huo Liaoyuan was his living heir.

However, the truth of this claim was uncertain.

Huo Lianshan had passed away, and there were no family records to confirm this.

But Huo Liaoyuan was indeed a master of his craft.

This man had been famous for many years, and the divine weapons he crafted were highly sought after, making him a respected figure in the southwest.

The reason they revealed this matter was because they had crossed paths with Ji Shuhua.

Although Ji Shuhua had friends all over the world, these two were elderly seniors, so they did not know each other.

The Wanderer of the Dust and Master Liaoyuan shared their insights and inevitably discussed materials for forging.

When it came to this topic, Huo Liaoyuan spoke with authority.

At the time, they were in a tavern, and Ji Shuhua, indulging in a few extra drinks, couldn't help but argue with Master Liaoyuan as he boasted.

Initially, Master Liaoyuan did not want to engage with him, hoping to avoid conflict and maintain peace.

However, Ji Shuhua was relentless, accusing Master Liaoyuan of being short-sighted and only capable of theoretical discussions, having never seen the truly excellent materials in the world.

For some reason, in a moment of impulse, Ji Shuhua opened the box he carried with him.

He intended to embarrass these two elderly men, but they immediately recognized the origin of the Star Sea Legacy Sand Iron!