Chapter 299: A Web of Intrigue

Chapter 299: A Web of Intrigue

After the qilin swordsman finished speaking, he was still shaken.

Just witnessing Su Mo's palm strike today, with the dragon's roar reverberating and the distant tolling of bells...

It seemed like with just a flick of his wrist, he could have crushed him right then and there.

"Hopeless."

Yu Lingxin shot her brother a disapproving look, glanced outside the door, and then said:

"But Chief Escort Su truly is impressive.

"Today in the main hall of Wusheng Hall, using Ding Wugong as a decoy, he managed to flush out Wu Yong directly.

"We were meant to find you tonight...

"But there were too many guards outside, and making contact rashly could have drawn suspicion.

"We had no choice but to watch Wu Yong while figuring out how to meet you.

"Out of nowhere, something happened to Wu Yong.

"From our hiding spot, we saw everything clearly."

Today, Su Mo used Ding Wugong as bait, and Wu Yong panicked and tried to eliminate him to cover his tracks.

Since they witnessed these events, even if they weren't entirely clear about the connection between Ding Wugong and Wusheng Hall, they realized Wu Yong was deeply implicated.

They quickly started to observe, but consulting Su Mo wasn't necessary.

After all, they had to act fast...

And after Wu Yong's death, when the gongs rang out in Wusheng Hall, they knew Su Mo would come without fail.

It was the perfect opportunity to meet, so they appeared just as Su Mo arrived at the fourth hall.

Their act was meant to create distance from Su Mo.

After tonight, everyone knew Xing Lan had pinned the murder on Su Mo.

Although the two were jointly investigating Wu Yong's case, they not only lacked friendship but also harbored some animosity.

If the investigation ultimately proved Su Mo innocent,

Xing Lan would be completely disgraced.

Not only would he have to kneel and kowtow to apologize, but who knows how Chief Escort Su might retaliate?

Therefore, there was likely no room for reconciliation between the two, and no one could have imagined that they were actually allies...

After listening to this, Su Mo finally breathed a sigh of relief:

"I figured that as long as you were in Wusheng Hall, you would come to me tonight.

"But I didn't expect these twists and turns.

"Fortunately, everything is still under control."

He paused briefly, then it dawned on him:

"At that time, when Uncle Yang and the others left, aside from the three of us, there were also... Aunt Ling and the young Chief Escort of Tianmen Escort Bureau.

"Now that these two are missing, could it mean...?"

Yang Yizhi couldn’t help but smile upon hearing this:

"Mo'er, you're only half right...

"Your Aunt Ling did go after the killer.

"But where Ji Feiyang is now, you’d never guess."

"Oh?"

Su Mo was slightly stunned: "Please tell me, Uncle Yang."

"Young Chief Escort Ji is now a big name within Wusheng Hall."

The swordsman known as Qilin chuckled:

"He became a servant at Wusheng Hall and is now serving in the inner residence.

"They say Madam Wan has taken quite a liking to him."

"..."

Su Mo blinked his eyes: "Madam Wan? Isn’t that a bit hard to believe?"

“Don’t sell Madam Wan short.”

Yang Yizhi said softly:

"Madam Wan, the wife of Wusheng Hall’s hall master Wan Yutang, is no ordinary woman.

"Her family background is the Hou family, the first family of the western frontier!"

"The Hou family? I’ve never heard of them."

Su Mo was stunned; he didn’t know much about the western frontier.

This was the first time he’d heard of the Hou family.

"It’s no surprise you don’t know."

Yang Yizhi nodded and said:

"The western frontier is a complicated place, and the southwestern region is particularly unique.

"This area was originally the main gateway of the Eastern Wasteland, and further west, one could reach the very center of the world, the heartland of the former Great Xuan Dynasty.

"Now it’s a melting pot of all kinds of people.

"There are veteran villains who once killed countless and were unrivaled, and there are also heroes who have retired from the world for various reasons.

"They band together, and are extremely exclusionary towards outsiders, thus becoming one of the rare ungoverned areas in the martial world.

"And the Hou family has been established here for generations.

"After the Great Xuan Dynasty unified the world, they even granted the Hou family the title of Marquis of Dongguan.

"At that time, they were immensely wealthy and powerful, unrivaled in their prime.

"Unfortunately, after the Great Xuan Dynasty collapsed overnight, the Hou family was also implicated and endured numerous upheavals in the martial world.

"Although they still managed to stand firm, they no longer had the prestige of the past.

"And with the rise of Wusheng Hall, the Hou family withdrew all their overt forces and firmly entrenched themselves in the western frontier.

"They were unwilling to compete with Wusheng Hall and lacked the same aggressive edge.

"But at that time... everyone knew that the western frontier was chaotic, with all sorts of people, but as long as the Hou family issued a command, no matter the chaos in the western frontier, peace would be restored.

"Their visible forces might not be as strong as Wusheng Hall, but their covert influence permeated the entire western frontier.

"They were the undisputed leading family of the western frontier!"

"So that's how it is."

Su Mo nodded: "It's understandable that the wife of the Wusheng Hall's hall master comes from such a background... but since the Hou family withdrew to the western frontier after the rise of Wusheng Hall, it's clear they wished to avoid entanglement with Wusheng Hall.

"So why did they suddenly marry their daughter to Wan Yutang?"

"How can everything in the world always go as one wishes?"

The swordsman chimed in:

"The Great Xuan Dynasty couldn't last forever, let alone a mere family?

"Decades ago, the Hou family had already gradually declined, and by the time of Madam Wan's generation, the entire family dwindled down to her as the sole heir.

"Thus, whoever wed the young miss of the Hou family would effectively control all the covert forces of the western frontier.

"For this, even entering the Hou family through marriage was deemed entirely worthwhile.

"But Madam Wan had other ideas.

"She believed that those willing to marry into the Hou family were largely inept.

"Alternatively, they were individuals harboring ulterior motives.

"She alone could not sustain the vast influence of the Hou family.

"Without a strong backer, upon her parents' demise, the Hou family would inevitably succumb to the tempests of the martial world.

"So..."

"So she proactively chose to marry Wan Yutang!?"

Su Mo understood immediately:

"But such a marriage, for Madam Wan, is akin to striking a pact with the devil, right?"

"Wan Yutang is truly a formidable figure, but Madam Wan is equally formidable.

"These two are like a dragon and a tiger in combat."

Yang Yizhi gently shook his head: "Moreover, the situation here is not as simple as it seems.

"At that time, the heir of the Hou family said... she would only marry the Hall Master of Wusheng Hall!

"And at that time, Wusheng Hall was in the midst of a transition between the old and new Hall Masters.

"The old Hall Master had just stepped down, and the new Hall Master had not yet taken the position.

"It was clear who she wanted to marry.

"Thus, an interesting saying circulated in Wusheng Hall back then...

"That is, only by marrying the heir of the Hou family could one secure the position of Hall Master of Wusheng Hall."

"This..."

Su Mo found it somewhat amusing but also felt helpless.

Major powers all have their own schemes and intentions.

Wusheng Hall wanted the Hou family's covert influence in the western frontier, while the current Madam Wan sought the shelter of Wusheng Hall's mighty tree.

Both sides had their own goals, and in the end, they came to an agreement.

As for emotions, they were clearly not part of their considerations.

He then gently shook his head:

"The Fallen Phoenix Alliance, with just eight alliance leaders, has already reached such a level of infighting.

"During the transition between old and new Hall Masters in Wusheng Hall, it was naturally even more chaotic.

"Over twenty years ago, after Wan Yutang ascended to the position, he married Madam Wan...

"The most crucial point was likely that, during such turbulent times, if he did not marry Madam Wan, it would be equivalent to giving up the easily attainable western frontier.

"This would naturally cause dissatisfaction within the hall, leading to further instability.

"His position as Hall Master would then be untenable."

"That's exactly it."

Yang Yizhi nodded: "And this Madam Wan, even after marrying Wan Yutang, remained extremely strong-willed and exceptionally skilled in her methods.

"Among the twelve Hall Masters of Wusheng Hall, two of them actually serve under Madam Wan."

"Which two?"

Su Mo casually inquired.

"One is me."

The swordsman instinctively spoke up, but after saying it, he couldn't help but spit three times in succession:

"It's Xing Lan, and the other is the eleventh Hall Master... Lai Wenxiu."

Hearing this, Su Mo couldn't help but frown slightly:

"The situation within Wusheng Hall is indeed far more complicated than I imagined."

"Uncle Yang, you arrived much earlier than I did. Although I don't know how you managed to obtain your current identities and infiltrate the Wusheng Hall,

"I imagine you must have seen more than I have.

"Is there any useful information now?

"What did the Heavenly Gate Master say?"

These were the questions Su Mo had wanted to ask from the moment they met, but the conversation had veered into gossip about Madam Wan.

However, talking about Madam Wan wasn't entirely fruitless.

At least Su Mo learned one thing.

Back then, perhaps Wan Yutang truly wasn't unwilling to search for Wan Cangxin and his mother; rather, he was powerless to do so.

With such a formidable wife at home, how could someone with Madam Wan's cunning and character possibly allow him to have a mistress outside?

No, that statement isn't quite accurate.

To be precise, she, Madam Wan, was the mistress…

This made it even less tolerable.

This is evident from the fact that Wan Yutang has only had this one wife up until now.

"Heavenly Gate Master…"

After a brief pause, Yang Yizhi said:

"This person has revealed quite a bit of information, but it's unclear whether the techniques of the Suspended Pot Pavilion are flawed, or if the Heaven Gate Master himself has some issues.

"Although he spoke at length, much of it was of little value.

"Among the most valuable pieces of information is that the traitor from Li Siyun's clan is within the Wusheng Hall.

"This is also the reason why we have come to the territory of the Wusheng Hall.

"This matter has been a lingering regret for your father since his time.

"Why stop when you're so close to the finish line?

"So, we're here to root out this person.

"However, the situation within the Wusheng Hall is indeed overly complex...

"Among the Twelve Hall Masters, apart from the two who follow Madam Wan's orders as mentioned earlier,

"The rest also have their own factions and private interests.

"The first Hall Master, Li Zhongming, appears upright but is actually very self-serving.

"The Hall Master, Wan Yutang, is cultivating a divine technique and often goes into seclusion. During these times, almost all affairs of the Wusheng Hall are managed by him.

"His status subtly stands a notch above the other Hall Masters. Now, if Wan Yilan marries his son, it would elevate his status even further.

"After all, Wan Yutang has only this one daughter.

"In the future, the leadership of the Wusheng Hall naturally cannot be passed to his daughter... but a son-in-law is as good as a son. As long as Li Xuechun isn't a lost cause, the future is anyone's guess."

This is also why Li Zhongming prefers to play it safe.

For others, this is just a joyous occasion.

But for Li Zhongming, it’s clearly a stepping stone for him and his son to climb to the top of Wusheng Hall’s power structure.

Hearing this, Su Mo nodded slightly:

"Li Xuechun doesn’t seem too happy about this."

The Qilin Swordsman smiled:

"Of course he’s not satisfied. He’s nothing like Li Zhongming.

'Li Zhongming is obsessed with power, while Li Xuechun only wants to live free and easy in the jianghu.

He spends half the year outside Wusheng Hall, either drinking here or having fun somewhere else.

Sometimes he gets drunk on high peaks, other times he sips wine under trees.

To be honest, looking at Li Xuechun’s lifestyle, I can’t help but feel a bit envious.

Besides, although he and Wan Yilan grew up together, their relationship seems more like siblings.

Wan Yilan doesn’t feel that way about him, and neither does he.

He also knows Wan Yilan’s completely hung up on Wan Zangxin...

So of course, he’s unwilling to marry."

"Ah, I see now."

Su Mo smiled: "Earlier, Li Xuechun made a big deal about a forbidden area in the back mountain, almost as if he was afraid I wouldn’t go there. I wonder what secrets are hidden in that forbidden area?"

"Forbidden area in the back mountain?"

Yang Yizhi and the others looked at each other: "That’s where Wan Yutang retreats to meditate. No one knows what kind of martial arts he’s practicing, but he rarely shows up, spending most of his time in seclusion.

On top of that, he never lets anyone into the forbidden area in the back mountain.

If something needs his attention, he’s called out by the sound of a bell.

When we infiltrated Wusheng Hall, your Aunt Ling also snuck into the back mountain to investigate.

But the back mountain is heavily guarded. Wan Yutang’s got some serious defenses there. Even with your Aunt Ling’s top-notch lightness skills, she was spotted the moment she stepped inside.

She almost got caught and didn’t dare to act rashly afterward.

Li Xuechun deliberately telling you this is definitely up to something."

Hearing this, Su Mo seemed lost in thought.

After a moment of contemplation, he asked:

"Among the Twelve Halls, Li Zhongming stands alone, while Xing Lan and Lai Wenxiu follow Madam Wan’s orders.

What about the others?"

"The others... well, that’s another story."

The Kirin Swordsman smiled and said:

"The rest of the people are quite a mixed bag. The second Hall Master, Bei Zhangzhi, is completely loyal to Wan Yutang. The fifth Hall Master, Qin Yuren, and the sixth Hall Master, Wen Zhongtai, are both his allies.

"The third Hall Master, Lin Tao, the eighth Hall Master, Duan Qinghen, and the ninth Hall Master, Ling Feimiao, are like political opportunists.

"Sometimes they lean towards Li Zhongming, and other times towards Bei Zhangzhi, their loyalties are very unclear.

"Among them, there are three others: the fourth Hall Master, Wu Yong, the tenth Hall Master, Deng Fengbai, and the twelfth Hall Master, Rong Zhantang, each pursuing their own agendas.

"On the surface, these three remain neutral and rarely participate in affairs.

"It seems they are indifferent to the hall master and Li Zhongming, solely focused on their own affairs.

"However, the Deputy Hall Master of the tenth hall, Ren Xiongfei, appears to be leaning towards Li Zhongming...

"But now it appears that all this may not be accurate.

"Today you mentioned that Ding Wugong follows Ren Xiongfei's orders, and Wu Yong suddenly jumped up to kill someone.

"There's something quite fascinating about all this.

"Furthermore, Li Zhongming clearly knows something... Today he pulled me aside and shared something with me."

"Does he think it was someone from Bei Zhangzhi's faction who killed Wu Yong?"

Su Mo didn't wait for him to speak and already answered: "So these three, who appear neutral, are actually part of a faction?"

"Exactly."

The Kirin Swordsman nodded: "But there's more to it. He said that Ren Xiongfei is ambitious, though he appears loyal, he has hidden agendas. His relationship with him is merely a facade.

"Wusheng Hall is in a precarious state, and the slightest mistake could lead to its downfall.

"So at this time, we must not provoke you, the Eastern Wasteland's top figure, otherwise, Wusheng Hall could fall apart in an instant.

"Hahaha, this man is truly earnest, fearing that I might fully enrage you."

After listening, Su Mo quickly processed the information in his mind.

The hall master is detached from worldly affairs, only focused on secluding himself.

Li Zhongming is power-hungry.

Bei Zhangzhi and his two allies are part of Wan Yutang's faction.

Lin Tao and the other two are unsteady in their stance, establishing their own faction.

Wu Yong, Deng Fengbai, and Rong Zhantang are another faction.

Additionally, Xing Lan and Lai Wenxiu take orders from Madam Wan.

Clearly, everyone in Wusheng Hall has their own plots and ambitions.

The truth is truly hard to discern.

However, Su Mo and his companions are not here to judge the rights and wrongs of Wusheng Hall; their goal is only one...

To find the traitor of Li Siyun's clan.

So, he hesitated briefly and was about to speak when suddenly a noisy disturbance broke out outside the door.

"young miss, please stop!

"young miss, Hall Master Xing said, you must not barge in!"

The voices came quickly and urgently, and it was clear those trying to stop her were barely managing.

Yang Yizhi frowned slightly. At this moment, there wasn’t enough time to put on the human skin mask.

He quickly leaped up and hid on the beam.

The moment he hid, the door was pushed open.

As it opened, voices also entered the room:

"How dare you! Even though Xing Lan is the Hall Master of the Seventh Hall, does that mean you can ignore me?

"How dare you even stop me?"

The speaker exuded arrogance, completely unreasonable in attitude. Upon entering, her eyes immediately fell upon the Qilin Swordsman:

"Well, well, you have quite the nerve to stop even me?"