Chapter 301: The Letter

Chapter 301: The Letter

Under the cover of night, two figures were navigating the alleys of Wusheng Hall.

The one in the lead clearly had a thorough knowledge of the area, always able to precisely time the disciples' patrols, stopping or leading as needed.

They moved undetected the entire way.

Su Mo marveled. Even as the young miss of Wusheng Hall, she wouldn't know the patrol routes of the disciples to such an extent, would she?

Following Wan Yilan here, they had already infiltrated deep into the inner courtyard of Wusheng Hall.

Wan Yilan's goal was extremely clear. When she led Su Mo to stand outside a courtyard wall, she stopped and turned to look at Su Mo.

"Chief Escort Su, from now on, it's up to you."

"..."

Su Mo looked around and found that he didn't recognize any of the surroundings, so he couldn't help but ask:

"Where is this?"

"This is my mother's residence."

Wan Yilan said: "The guards inside are highly skilled in martial arts, with unknown capabilities, and the situation is unclear. The previous approach is no longer viable... My mother has hidden all her things in a secret chamber. Chief Escort Su, with your martial prowess, take me in, and I'll guide you."

"..."

Su Mo inhaled sharply. This is what they mean by a daughter being too trusting of outsiders!

Just for saving Wan Zangxin, she was ready to betray her parents.

If Yang Xiaoyun was a drafty quilt, then the one before him was like wearing a soft armor inside out.

Su Mo had thought having a daughter would be comforting, very considerate...

Now it seems he needs to reconsider.

His thoughts in disarray, he murmured:

"Young Miss Wan, I beg your pardon."

After saying that, he reached out and grabbed Wan Yilan's shoulder, using the 'adhere' technique from the Great Open Yang Scattering Palm, adhering her shoulder to his palm, they leapt into the courtyard.

His foot touched down without a sound.

Wan Yilan's heart instinctively tightened, and only once inside did she relax, not daring to dwell on it. She gestured to guide Su Mo.

Su Mo tapped his toes and moved with the swiftness of the wind.

Wan Yilan saw a flash, and they were already there, so she quickly continued to guide.

Only then did Wan Yilan grasp the true extent of Su Mo's lightness skill.

Carrying her, all distances were covered in an instant.

Moreover, it was completely silent, so even if there were patrolling disciples nearby, they wouldn't notice.

Instead, she thought it was just a gust of wind passing by.

Moreover, Su Mo seemed to be more familiar with this place than she was.

He seemed to know exactly where the guards patrolled and where the sentries stood in this courtyard.

People with strong internal energy naturally have sharp senses.

But the martial arts masters in this courtyard were completely different from those outside.

This clearly showed Su Mo's skill.

In just a few leaps, he swiftly reached a small building.

With one leap, he reached the second-floor window, pushed it open, and pulled Wan Yilan inside.

Then he turned and quietly closed the window.

Though it sounds complicated, it happened in an instant.

When Wan Yilan came to, she looked completely shocked.

But now wasn’t the time to be amazed. Holding back her shock, she tugged Su Mo’s sleeve and pointed elsewhere.

Su Mo nodded and was about to lead her that way when he noticed a closed door nearby.

Although the door was closed, Su Mo could hear two voices inside.

He instinctively looked at Wan Yilan.

Wan Yilan mouthed, "My mother."

Was that Madam Wan in there?

Madam Wan... with someone else?

Wan Yutang isn’t still in seclusion, is he?

Su Mo was confused. Who was with Madam Wan?

After a moment, Su Mo decided not to investigate.

It wouldn’t be right to dig into this in front of her daughter.

Besides, what if Wan Yutang had come out early?

Even if it wasn’t Wan Yutang, what could he do?

He pushed the thoughts aside and followed Wan Yilan to another room.

They opened the door and stepped into a study.

Su Mo glanced around. "Is this your father’s study?"

Wan Yilan shook her head. "My mother’s."

"Then where’s your father’s...?"

"My father doesn't live here."

Wan Yilan smiled helplessly:

"Our family of three used to live together long ago, but somehow, we ended up living separately.

"My mother is here, my father is at the back mountain... well, actually, he doesn't live at the back mountain, but he spends far more time there than at home.

"But if it weren't for this, I wouldn't have had the chance to... to be with Zangxin..."

At this point, she became embarrassed.

She trailed off, then said to Su Mo:

"I apologize, Chief Escort Su. I don't have many friends to speak of.

"Even if there are people I can confide in, some secrets just can't be spoken aloud.

"You know about my relationship with Zangxin, and since you're a mutual friend of ours, I just couldn't help but speak freely."

"No need to apologize."

Su Mo waved his hand: "Miss Wan, after you."

He pointed to the study.

"Mm."

Wan Yilan nodded, went over and found the mechanism to open it.

The faint sound of gears turning could be heard, and the next moment, one side of the bookshelf slid aside.

Wan Yilan, while deftly retrieving a fire starter from her bosom, said to Su Mo:

"Mother keeps everything hidden in this secret room.

"I've seen related records in the bedroom before, but later, they vanished.

"This has happened before, and I've found some of the missing items in this secret room.

"But at the time, I wasn't particularly concerned about the matters of the Endless Prison, so I didn't pay much attention to looking for them.

"I hope that item is still here."

"Alright."

Su Mo didn't hesitate.

Immediately, he followed Wan Yilan into the secret room.

Although it's not proper to pry into others' privacy like this, the matter of the Endless Prison is of great importance. If it's really in this secret room, then Madam Wan is probably not unaware of it.

After a few thoughts crossed his mind, the bookshelf behind them naturally closed.

Wan Yilan lit the fire starter and casually lit the lamp in the corner of the secret room.

The entire secret room was instantly revealed to Su Mo.

However, what greeted his eyes was a scene of dazzling splendor.

The place was filled with gold and silver treasures.

Su Mo was momentarily stunned and couldn't help but glance at Wan Yilan, asking:

"Miss Wan, may I ask, have you brought anyone else here before?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head: "It's quite troublesome for me to come here myself, especially as I grow older and the distance between my mother and me increases. It's impossible for me to sneak in here anymore.

"I remember the first time I accidentally opened this secret room; it was purely by chance.

"After my mother saw it, she scolded me harshly.

"It was the harshest she had ever been with me.

"She told me that I must never come again... but the younger I was, the more I wanted to come, despite her warnings.

"I sneaked in two or three times by myself, but after that, there were no more opportunities."

As she spoke, her expression became somewhat complicated.

It was a mix of nostalgia and a hint of sadness.

But this expression quickly faded, and she smiled and said:

"It's a letter, or perhaps a scroll of some kind, Chief Escort Su. We must hurry and find it."

"Alright," he agreed, nodding. His gaze swept past the gold and silver treasures, and then he began searching with Wan Yilan.

There were indeed many things in the secret room; besides gold and silver jewelry, there were also some divine weapons and sharp tools.

Various elixirs were categorized and stored, while scrolls and books were placed on shelves.

At a glance, there were a variety of items, including martial arts manuals, music scores, poetry, and many rare editions by renowned authors.

Su Mo and Wan Yilan searched by the light of the fire, seeking traces of the Endless Prison.

After searching for a while, Su Mo found a box beneath the bookshelf.

Opening it, he discovered several letters inside.

Remembering what Wan Yilan had said earlier—that the Endless Prison might also be seen in the letters—he casually picked one up and opened it.

What met his eyes was not the delicate handwriting of a woman, but rather...

The writing was vigorous and powerful, exuding righteousness.

The content was somewhat unexpected.

At the top were four large characters: 'To My Sister Li.'

"Hmm?" he murmured, slightly puzzled. Who was this written to?

After a moment of contemplation, he glanced at the content of the letter, but just a few sentences caused Su Mo to frown.

"After not seeing you for a month, my longing for you increases every day."

"Now that you are pregnant, you must take extra care. I have already informed Lan Gu to send you some money."

"Do not attempt to manage everything on your own; let your maids and servants handle the tasks..."

The rest of the letter mostly consists of reminders for her to take care of herself, to be careful with her heavy condition, and to avoid any accidents.

Later, it mentions:

"Affairs within Wusheng Hall are complex and unpredictable. As I deal with them, often exhausting myself, I think of the shores of Clearwater Lake."

"At such moments, my courage returns, and my fighting spirit is limitless."

"Sister Qing, please rest assured and await the birth. Once everything is settled, I will surely welcome you back, and we will be together forever."

The letter continues with loving words, and it ends without a signature...

Su Mo, holding the letter, let out a long sigh.

His mind was in turmoil.

Finally, he put the letter aside and pulled out several more letters, opening and reading them one by one.

The contents of these letters were mostly similar.

Mostly, they expressed longing for her, with little mention of affairs within Wusheng Hall.

Over time, this longing deepened.

Since neither the envelopes nor the letters had dates, Su Mo struggled to determine the order of these letters.

When he opened another letter, he finally found something different.

The handwriting in this letter was a bit messy, and for the first time, the recipient's name, Qing, appeared.

"Dear Sister Qing..."

"Today, I... I have wronged you."

"The fierce woman from the western frontier has treated me too harshly!"

"What does the greater situation have to do with me?"

"However... however..."

"Once in the martial world, one cannot always act as one wishes."

"Today, I have done something against my will, and I am ashamed to speak of it."

"I only hope that you, dear sister, will not blame me..."

"I will not harm her in the slightest, nor will I make any mistakes."

"Once I bring you back, I will surely drive her out of our home!"

"Even if her entire clan comes to challenge me, what do I fear!?"

"Signed, Wan Renshan!"

"Wan Renshan is indeed Wan Yutang..."

After reading this letter, everything that needed to be understood became clear.

The fierce woman from the western frontier, Madam Wan.

I'm sorry, but it seems that day was when Wan Yutang married Madam Wan.

At that time, Wan Yutang needed to secure his position as the hall master of Wusheng Hall, and Madam Wan was essential to stabilize the overall situation.

Under immense pressure, Wan Yutang had no choice but to go along with it.

Yet, in the letter, he pledged his loyalty, promising to treat Madam Wan with the utmost respect.

Moreover, from the remaining content, it seemed he intended to bring back the 'Qingmei' mentioned in the letter to Wusheng Hall once he stabilized the situation, and then expel Madam Wan.

Madam Wan was the sole heir of the Hou family, the foremost family in the western frontier.

If her entire clan were to attack, it would naturally involve the hidden forces of the western frontier.

However, judging from Wan Yutang's letters, it was clear he was ready for a life-and-death struggle.

Yet, looking at his later actions, it was clear he didn't follow through.

If he truly intended to treat her with respect, how did Wan Yilan come into existence?

Any movement in the western frontier was well-known to Wusheng Hall.

The Wangxuan Mountain Lord infiltrated Wusheng Hall's territory and secretly reached Tihu Village, something Wusheng Hall was fully aware of.

Clearly, this area had been under Wusheng Hall's control for a long time.

But... why did these letters end up in Madam Wan's hands?

The uneasy feeling in Su Mo's heart grew stronger.

He couldn't help but glance at Wan Yilan, who was digging through the books:

"Miss Wan, do you know if your father knows how to get into this secret room?"

"Huh?"

Wan Yilan was momentarily stunned, not turning around as she replied:

"My father? I don't know if he knows, but he probably does.

"Even though my parents don't get along well, it seems they don't keep many secrets from each other.

"Their relationship... it's hard to tell what's really going on.

"Anyway, I can't figure it out."

Su Mo nodded slightly, his brow furrowing once more.

Wan Yutang is Wan Renshan, and the letters he wrote to 'Qingmei' were all intercepted by Madam Wan.

Now they've ended up here.

However, this made Su Mo realize that the source of Wan Zangxin's lifelong misery indeed began with Wusheng Hall.

The letters Wan Yutang wrote to her mother were all intercepted by Madam Wan.

How could this end well?

And the reason why Ye Jun knew about Wan Zangxin's affairs became clear.

By then, Ren Xiongfei was already inside Wusheng Hall.

If even a single one of these letters fell into Ren Xiongfei's hands...

Then there would be no way to keep this matter hidden.

But beyond this, other thoughts began to stir in Su Mo's mind.

As he pondered, he heard Wan Yilan whisper excitedly:

"Chief Escort Su, I..."

As soon as she spoke, Su Mo frowned and flicked his finger, snuffing out the light.

Wan Yilan's words cut off abruptly, and she turned to Su Mo, puzzled.

Su Mo gestured toward the secret room's entrance, and moments later, footsteps echoed in the corridor.

From the sound of it, they were making their way to the study.

The study's hidden door was disguised by a bookshelf, seamlessly embedded into the wall. When shut, it left only the slightest crack.

Two figures approached, but the gap was too narrow to allow even a glimpse outside.

Yet, their voices carried through clearly.

The study door creaked open, and a figure entered, trailed by another.

Once the lamp was lit, a woman's voice broke the silence:

"It's the dead of night. Shouldn't you be in seclusion? Why are you here, disturbing my rest?"

The only person who could speak with such authority here was, of course, Madam Wan.

Yet Madam Wan's voice bore no hint of age; instead, it was undeniably alluring. Every syllable dripped with a honeyed sweetness.

A moment later, a man's voice replied coolly:

"Disturbing your sleep? Have you no care for our daughter's fate?"

The tone and cadence were unmistakably Wan Yutang's.

Earlier, Madam Wan had chided, "You should be in seclusion." Had he cut it short?

Wan Yilan's brow furrowed slightly, her expression far from joyful. Instead, her features were tense.

Yet, in the next instant, a faint smile played on her lips. There was a glimmer of triumph, as if a scheme had come to fruition.

Su Mo glanced at her twice, unable to understand the girl's thoughts, feeling a bit puzzled.

But the situation outside was even stranger.

A late-night conversation between a couple, not in the bedroom, but in the study...

I wonder if Wan Yutang knows what goes on in Madam Wan's bedroom?

As I was thinking this, I suddenly heard Madam Wan sneer:

"Life and death? Hasn't she been trying to die for a long time?

"Ever since the news of that little thief named Wan came back more than half a month ago, she's wanted to die.

"How many times have I saved her life?

"I've talked to her earnestly, my mouth dry from speaking, but has it done any good?

"If it weren't for her determination to die, why would I have forced her to marry?

"Once a woman... is married, something in her heart dies.

"By then, she'll naturally resign herself to her fate."

"Don't pretend you care about her life and death... If you really did, why would you be indifferent tonight?"

Wan Yutang's voice was filled with barely contained anger.

But Madam Wan's voice was even icier:

"I don't care about her life and death?

"Right, of course I don't care.

"It's just a daughter; if she's gone, I can always have another one.

"But don't pretend I'm the only one who doesn't care.

"And you? Have you ever cared?

"If you really cared, why would you let Zhuxiu tell her about Su Mo coming to Wusheng Hall?

"You knew that Su Mo killed Wan Zangxin, and Yilan would surely hate him to the core.

"Knowing this, with her reckless nature, she would definitely try to assassinate Chief Escort Su.

"But... Wan Yutang, do you want to use her to kill Su Mo, or do you want Su Mo to kill your daughter?

"So you can rightfully expel her from Wusheng Hall, lest your grand scheme be discovered by him?"

This late-night conversation between the couple was completely uninhibited, and they didn't notice that their words were clearly heard by Su Mo and Wan Yilan hiding in the secret room.

At this moment, Su Mo was utterly shocked.

Wan Yilan felt her hands and feet go cold, her whole body chilled.