Chapter 278: Dihu Village

Chapter 278: Dihu Village

There are always those who refuse to live under someone else's shadow.

In Li Siyun's clan, there were once people who, unwilling to remain stagnant in one place, mastered martial arts but couldn’t make a name for themselves in the jianghu, and thus colluded with the Sanjue Sect.

This ultimately led to the near extinction of the entire clan.

Only Li Siyun remained, but because he dragged Su Mo into the conflict of the Mandarin Duck Register, he ended up committing suicide in front of Su Mo.

These traitors certainly deserved to die, but from another perspective, possessing the skills to slay a dragon yet being unable to showcase them is also a kind of tragedy.

The remnants of Li Siyun's clan were tasked with guarding the Xuanji Buckle after the fall of the Great Xuan Dynasty.

The person Su Tianyang saved back then, who called himself Shouxuan, also originated from this.

But upon careful consideration, only a few centuries have passed, and things have already come to this.

The White Tiger City has a long history, far surpassing this, yet how has it stayed the same for millennia?

In such a long span of time, could it be that no one felt resentment?

Did no one wish to roam the jianghu and make a name for themselves with the martial arts of the Emperor’s Heart Sutra?

Seeing so-called martial arts masters come and go from White Tiger City, did no one want to challenge them?

This is absolutely impossible!

Yet the final result is that even now, White Tiger City stays hidden from the world.

Caught between the Wusheng Hall and the Fallen Phoenix Alliance, yet it has not clashed with either.

This alone shows an unimaginable level of restraint.

And what is it that keeps all this in check—their clan rules or the Emperor’s Heart Sutra?

It’s a fact that rules can control most people, but not everyone.

Therefore, there must be something else keeping these remnants of the White Tiger clan in line in White Tiger City.

When the Grand Priestess arrived earlier, she couldn’t resist mocking the Youquan Cult upon hearing Su Mo's evaluation of who was stronger between the Chief Attendant and the Sect Leader Youquan, which made Su Mo think of a possibility.

It is well known that the Youquan True Scripture is the foundation of all the Youquan Cult’s martial arts.

After joining the cult, everyone can practice the Black Heart Palm.

Then, step by step, they learn various techniques.

However, those at higher levels can easily decide the fate of those below them.

In this way, the Sect Leader Youquan controls the entire Youquan Cult, his word is law, and no one can defy him.

Could the Emperor’s Heart Sutra work the same way?

If this guess turns out to be true, then the Grand Priestess giving Su Mo the Emperor’s Heart Sutra wasn’t just about apologizing.

There’s one more thing...

Su Mo had just skimmed through the Emperor’s Heart Sutra twice in front of the Grand Priestess, right.

Among this, there is indeed a general outline titled "The Grand Imperial Mystic Art," but... throughout the text, the words "Emperor’s Heart" are nowhere to be seen.

Although this could be explained by the fact that "Emperor’s Heart" might refer to something else, it inevitably leads to speculation.

Hearing this, Yang Xiaoyun asked:

"If that’s the case, Xiao Mo, why didn’t you stop her earlier?"

Su Mo idly stirred the embers in the fire pit:

"We’re not here to stir up trouble in White Tiger City.

"We’re here to complete Master Ji’s task and escort the Star Sea Legacy Sand Iron.

"This whole thing has already stirred up a storm, and falling out with the Grand Priestess would just make things messier.

"If she wants to play games, I’ll let her have her fun for a few days.

"Once this is done, I’ll come back and dig deeper into White Tiger City."

But that wasn’t the full story…

The Grand Priestess’s words had struck a nerve.

Two things bothered him.

If the Grand Priestess was right about the four masters from the Great Xuan Dynasty trying to seize the Emperor’s Heart Sutra in White Tiger City.

So how did White Tiger City manage to keep the Emperor’s Heart Sutra?

The Great Xuan Dynasty was known for its ruthless approach to the martial world.

If it wasn’t impossible, they wouldn’t have let it go so easily.

What stopped them in their tracks?

Enough to make the four masters back off?

Letting them rename the Emperor’s Heart Sutra and pledge loyalty to the Great Xuan Dynasty was seen as enough.

The second thing was what one of the four masters—likely the founder of the Purple Sun Sect—had said.

How could Su Mo not wonder about the Purple Sun Sect’s origins?

It’s unclear how much the Grand Priestess really knew, and her words were a mix of truth and deception, hard to trust completely.

What Su Mo really wanted was to dig into White Tiger City’s records for answers.

To see exactly how that master operated back then.

Was there really a link to the Purple Sun Sect?

This could have huge implications…

If the Purple Sun Sect was indeed founded by one of the four masters of the Great Xuan Dynasty, then... did they truly not know about the Mystic Heaven Seal hidden in the secret box?

Or was there another reason?

Up on Shouyang Mountain, Li Zhengyuan’s every word had been heartfelt.

However... nothing was found in Wuliangyuan.

Some statements just don’t align.

Li Zhengyuan said that a lot of the evidence pointed towards Wuliangyuan.

Yet, within Wuliangyuan, the only one connected to the Jinglong Society was the Third Surprise of the Dragon Gate.

But this person had confined himself underground in Wuliangyuan, so how could he secretly coordinate and direct the former Three Ultimate Sects to act in various places in the Eastern Wasteland?

Did my stepfather, Su Tianyang, ever set foot in Wuliangyuan back then?

Was the situation truly as Li Zhengyuan described?

Su Mo had never doubted this before, but if the origins of the Purple Sun Sect were indeed connected to the Great Xuan Dynasty...

Certain things would need to be questioned.

However, the Purple Sun Sect was ultimately special to him, and this suspicion couldn’t be voiced lightly.

Moreover, the Grand Priestess's words were difficult to discern truth from lies.

While the best course of action would be to apprehend the Grand Priestess, she was unfathomable, and White Tiger City itself was shrouded in mystery.

With the consignment still in his possession, now that he had left White Tiger City, there was no real reason to confront the Grand Priestess now.

After dealing with the consignment and the matters concerning Wusheng Hall, he would return to investigate.

Even if there were real dangers, he could deal with them more composedly.

Seeing Su Mo's demeanor, Yang Xiaoyun sensed his concerns and chose not to pry.

After a brief rest, the group resumed their journey.

Leaving White Tiger City marked their official entry into Wusheng Hall's territory, where Su Mo and his companions were strangers, so they naturally had to rely on Hu Sandao to lead the way.

Starting their journey in the middle of the night, seven days flew by in the blink of an eye.

These seven days were quite peaceful, with the mountain bandits lying low, and occasionally meeting a few reckless individuals who dared to challenge Su Mo on the road.

Neither Su Mo nor Yang Xiaoyun had to lift a finger, leaving it to Hu Sandao to handle.

This made Hu Sandao feel somewhat useful after all.

To be honest, Hu Sandao's internal energy was fairly strong.

Back then, when he fell off a cliff, he gained a fraction of the imprisoned person's internal energy, and after tempering in the Western Frontier and his own exploration and cultivation, it became more and more refined.

Although he couldn’t be called a martial arts master, he was certainly not a lowly figure.

Most of the martial world's vagabonds and rogues couldn’t last three moves against him before being defeated.

Of course, if they could really withstand three moves, he would just use them again...

If that failed, he would summon Zhen Xiaoxiao.

On this day, the group arrived near Clear Spring Mountain.

As the sun set in the west, Hu Sandao led the way, walking ahead and saying:

"There's a village ahead called Dihu Village.

"When I led the elders and children from our village to flee from Wusheng Hall's territory, we passed by Qingquan Mountain and saw this village at the mountain pass.

"The villagers were quite hospitable. The weather was bad at the time, and it happened to be raining, so we stayed overnight in the village.

"We were pretty much broke at the time. We occasionally ran into some 'easy targets' on the road, but we were too ashamed to exploit them. We just about scraped by without starving, but we didn't have any extra money to give them, which left us feeling a bit guilty."

Su Mo nodded gently, while Yang Xiaoyun said:

"So if we stay here this time, shouldn't we pay them a bit more?"

Hu Sandao chuckled awkwardly: "Second-in-command..."

"Huh?"

"Oh no, I slipped up again."

Hu Sandao quickly caught himself and couldn't help but glare at Zhen Xiaoxiao.

Zhen Xiaoxiao kept calling Su Mo the "Big Boss" and Yang Xiaoyun the "Second-in-command."

It had to be said that this title resonated deeply with Hu Sandao, and he wholeheartedly approved of it.

Occasionally, it would slip out of his mouth.

He quickly corrected himself: "Deputy Chief, you're kidding. Old Hu here hasn't even made a few months' wages yet. Even if I wanted to give more, I couldn't... But I see they're having a hard time. Barely surviving in these rough mountains and rivers... What if I convince them to come back with us to Sunset City and join our Ziyang Escort Bureau?"

"Hold it right there."

Yang Xiaoyun didn't let him continue and quickly waved her hand: "The bureau isn't hiring many more escorts now, but the number of helpers keeps growing. If you bring back a whole village, their monthly pay would end up exceeding the escorts'."

Hu Sandao chuckled awkwardly again and could only say:

"Thanks to your kindness, thanks to your kindness."

Yang Xiaoyun shook her head and didn't say more.

Managing the elders and kids from Hu Sandao's village was no easy task.

His crew was all self-taught, and their martial arts were pretty subpar.

The Ziyang Escort Bureau had absorbed escorts and handlers from the Iron Blood Escort Bureau, all skilled in martial arts, making them far more competent.

Luckily, they had some basics, so training them was fairly easy.

But what about a whole village of farmers? How would we fit them into the bureau?

Just as she was pondering this, Zhen Xiaoxiao suddenly spoke up:

"It smells amazing—stewed radish, mountain chicken, cornbread... Are we close?"

As she spoke, they turned around a hillside, and Hu Sandao pointed ahead:

"Little girl, you've got a nose like a bloodhound."

There, in the mountain hollow, was indeed a village.

At that moment, it was the time when cooking smoke was rising, and chimneys from every household were puffing out smoke.

In the quiet of the wilderness, the smell of burning plants filled the air, bringing a sense of peace.

The group walked down the path and reached the village entrance.

A ceremonial archway stood at the entrance, marked with three large characters: "Tihu Village!"

A few old men were sitting at the village entrance, looking curiously at the newcomers.

Hu Sandao glanced at them, thinking he recognized some but wasn't sure.

When they stayed here before, it was dark and rainy; now, in the light, they seemed unfamiliar.

Then, an old man spoke up:

"Where are you young ones from?"

"Hello, respected elders."

Su Mo, ever polite, clasped his hands and said, "We're travelers from far away, just passing through your village. As the day is ending, we were hoping to spend the night here. Would that be okay?"

"Oh."

The old men looked at each other, and finally, one of them asked hesitantly:

"So... would you be paying?"

"Sure."

Su Mo smiled and replied, "We're strangers, after all. We wouldn't expect to stay for free."

"That's good to hear."

The old man nodded and said, "You don't have many people with you. Why not come with me? My wife should have dinner ready. It's just a simple meal, but you're welcome to join us."

After saying this, he hunched over and led the way.

The other old men glanced at his retreating figure:

"He's always the first to act."

"Exactly, that old man is always quick with his words."

Hearing this, Su Mo and his companions couldn't help but laugh.

However, after a moment, Su Mo's expression changed slightly.

His eyes scanned the village thoughtfully, as if pondering something.

Yang Xiaoyun seemed to have noticed something as well, her brow furrowing in concern.

Hu Sandao stepped forward to chat with the old man, mentioning that he had stayed here before and asking if the elder had any recollection.

The old man scrutinized him for a few moments, then shook his head: "I don't remember. My memory isn't what it used to be."

Hu Sandao didn't mind and asked, "I recall a large house in the eastern part of the village, owned by the Qi family. Are they still around?"

"...Everyone in this village is named Qi, but as for the large house in the east, that family has long been gone.

"It's been several years now."

Hu Sandao was momentarily stunned, unsure how to proceed.

Zhen Xiaoxiao had been sniffing out various aromas along the way, and by now had picked up on quite a few food and drink scents.

At first, it all seemed pretty ordinary.

But as she continued, her descriptions started to sound a bit far-fetched, talking about dishes like braised beef and roasted suckling pig, which left everyone a bit puzzled.

It was as if the village’s fare was even better than what they had at the escort agency.

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable.

Following the old man, they soon arrived at a courtyard.

Pushing open the gate, they saw a shirtless middle-aged man chopping wood in the yard.

Hearing the gate open, he looked up, first spotting the old man and was about to call out, but then noticed Su Mo and the others.

He was momentarily surprised: “Dad… we’ve got guests?”

“Yes,” the old man nodded. “Later, clean up those rooms for them to stay in. Also, tell Xiu Lan to whip up a couple more dishes and slaughter the chicken in the backyard for stew. It hasn’t been laying eggs, so it’s perfect for a feast.”

“Got it,” the burly man nodded promptly. “You all head inside and sit down, I’ll show you in.”

He seemed a bit flustered, wiping his hands on his pants as he spoke, then quickly ushered Su Mo and the others into the house.

The courtyard had three large houses, each with three rooms.

The middle one had a stove, used for both cooking and heating the kang bed. Between the two stoves stood a square table.

The rooms on either side were for sleeping.

As Su Mo and the others entered, they saw an old woman and a younger woman busy dishing out food from the pot and setting it on the table.

Hearing footsteps, they turned and were startled to see strangers.

The burly man quickly explained the situation, and the younger woman nodded before heading to the backyard to slaughter the chicken.

The old woman smiled and said, “Come, sit down first. Xiu Lan’s quick with the chicken. How about… trying some of these home-cooked dishes?”

“Ma, I’ll go chop some more wood.”

“Alright, where’s your dad?”

“Probably went to the latrine.”

As the middle-aged man spoke, he went back to the yard to chop wood.

Su Mo shifted his gaze from the man to the old woman and was about to speak when she stood up:

“Guests, go ahead and eat. Don’t mind us. I’ll go tidy up the rooms for you to stay tonight.”

With that, she left.

The stoves on either side still held some warmth, the ground beneath their feet was hard-packed and blackened soil, and the table was laid with simple, rustic fare.

As Su Mo and the others were about to sit down, Zhen Xiaoxiao sniffed the air and reached for the cornbread.

"Xiaoxiao."

Yang Xiaoyun suddenly spoke, and Xiaoxiao immediately stopped.

She turned to look at Yang Xiaoyun: "The Second-in-command?"

Yang Xiaoyun glanced at Su Mo, who had already sat down at the dining table. He picked up a piece of cornbread, broke it open, sniffed, and inspected it, then tossed it to Xiaoxiao:

"Eat."

Xiaoxiao took it without hesitation, grabbed two more pieces, and stuffed them into her mouth.

Hu Sandao finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The earlier scene had made him think there was something wrong with the food and that the village was suspicious.

After Yang Xiaoyun sat down, he quickly took his seat and said:

"The Qingquan Mountain is not far from Jifeng Mountain.

"Once we reach Jifeng Mountain, getting to Wusheng Hall will be much easier.

"The two are less than a hundred miles apart."

Su Mo nodded.

Hu Sandao couldn't help but ask: "Chief Escort... did you find something? Is there something wrong with this village?"

As he spoke, he thought back and realized that since they entered the village,

everything had seemed perfectly normal.

In the village, it was just like this—elderly men chatting, women cooking at home.

Men chopped firewood, and when there was no farm work, they did chores at home or wandered around the village...

Everything seemed normal.

Then he saw Su Mo shake his head: "This village isn't wrong."

Hu Sandao was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he heard Su Mo calmly say:

"It's very much wrong!"

Hu Sandao's heart immediately tightened, and Yang Xiaoyun whispered:

"I've been feeling that something was off all along the way, and it wasn't until we arrived here that I realized... there are no children in this village."