Chapter 341: October 25th

Chapter 341: October 25th

The autumn rain that night came in fits and starts, contrary to Su Mo's expectations that it would soon stop.

That evening, Su Mo still had unfinished business.

Sending Xu Lu north was naturally to meet Liu Mo.

Given Xu Lu's lightfoot skill and abilities, he shouldn't have any trouble finding him.

After conversing with Yang Xiaoyun for a while, Su Mo went to Su Tianyang's old bedroom.

He placed the Xuanji token retrieved from the Endless Prison beneath Wusheng Hall into the secret compartment.

Following Jun Luo's earlier remarks, Su Mo had been paying close attention to these tokens.

Indeed, he noticed that each token bore a different pattern.

He guessed that when all seven pieces came together, they would form a complete map.

Would this map lead to the former imperial capital of the Great Xuan Dynasty... or perhaps to the Great Xuan Treasury?

Or were they actually the same place?

Out of the seven tokens, Su Mo now possessed three.

Should he pursue the remaining four or not?

The Heart Net Umbrella, the Seven-foot Mystic Light Sword, and the still-mysterious purpose of the Heaven-pointing Wheel—

These three items together also pointed to one of the tokens.

The golden-threaded map, the Mandarin Duck Register, and the Gold-Jade Awl likewise indicated another.

Counting these, Su Mo technically had four tokens and had clues to a fifth.

In the entire realm, likely no one had gathered more than Su Mo.

But he was torn over whether to continue the search.

This was never what he wanted—did he truly need to obtain the Great Xuan Treasury?

Or was it that "he who holds Great Xuan holds the world"?

He was merely an escort/bodyguard—what did he have to do with the world?

At this thought, Su Mo couldn't help but give a dry laugh and put it out of his mind, opting instead to return to sleep.

The night was uneventful, and dawn arrived.

Su Mo rose early to practice martial arts, but the autumn rain kept up, keeping him from training in the courtyard. Instead, he ran through a set of the Purple Sun Divine Palm in his room.

He hadn't even finished when hurried footsteps approached.

After a loud knock, a voice called from outside:

"Has the Head Escort risen? Urgent matter to discuss!"

The voice belonged to Zhang Biaotou.

Su Mo gestured, and the door swung open.

Yang Xiaoyun, who had also heard the commotion inside the room, stepped out holding a spear tip.

Clearly, she had been training in her room as well.

Upon seeing her, Chief Escort Zhang promptly greeted Yang Xiaoyun.

"Come in, both of you," Su Mo said, and the two entered the room.

The three took their seats. Su Mo poured tea for Chief Escort Zhang, who thanked him before taking a sip and then spoke:

"Chief Escort, a message arrived this morning—Chief Escort Liu's team has run into trouble."

He pulled out a crumpled letter from his robe and handed it to Su Mo:

"Chief Escort Liu’s letter is vague. He didn’t identify the enemy, only that they’re trapped at Hui River and pleading for the agency’s help."

Hearing this, Yang Xiaoyun immediately glanced at Su Mo.

Su Mo nodded slightly:

"The Ziyang Escort Agency’s prominence makes us a target. If someone truly wanted to make trouble, it’s hardly surprising.

"Chief Escort Zhang, don’t worry. I’ll personally head to Hui River to see who’s behind this."

Chief Escort Zhang was taken aback: "The Chief Escort will handle this yourself?"

"Does Chief Escort Zhang have concerns?"

Su Mo looked at him.

Chief Escort Zhang hesitated before replying:

"It’s just that something feels off about this…

"As the Chief Escort said, our Ziyang Escort Agency is indeed a big target now, so it wouldn’t be strange if someone wanted to make trouble.

"But if they truly intended to challenge us, why didn’t they attack Chief Escort Liu’s convoy while he was transporting the goods?

"Why wait until their return journey to trap them?

"If they truly meant to be hostile, even if Chief Escort Liu is a skilled fighter and hard to defeat, why would they let this letter be sent out?"

He stood up and continued:

"When this letter reached me, I knew something wasn’t right.

"Since the Chief Escort is here at the agency now, I hurried to bring it to you…

"Pardon my boldness, but there may be more to this matter. Chief Escort, please think this through carefully."

Hearing this, Su Mo smiled faintly, his eyes briefly darting toward Yang Xiaoyun.

Zhang and Li, the two head escorts, were veterans from the Ironblood Escort Agency, as Yang Xiaoyun had noted before.

Between Zhang and Li, Escort Leader Li was slightly superior in martial arts but a bit hotheaded.

Zhang Biaotou, on the other hand, was level-headed and cautious, always thought things through.

That was why, during the trip to East City, Su Mo took Escort Leader Li with him and left Zhang Biaotou behind to assist Yang Xiaoyun in handling the daily affairs of the escort agency.

Now, it seemed the decision paid off.

After a moment of contemplation, Su Mo gave a slight nod:

"Zhang Biaotou has a point. But what if they weren’t targeting Escort Chief Liu at all?

What if they were after me?"

"This..."

Zhang Biaotou paused, taken aback, then immediately bowed deeply and said:

"If that’s the case, you shouldn't go alone, Chief.

Your safety is tied to the reputation of the entire agency.

If they trapped Escort Chief Liu to lure you out, they must have laid careful traps—otherwise, how would they dare poke the bear?"

"Then what do you suggest, Zhang Biaotou?"

"In my opinion... we should round up the crew and go together."

Zhang Biaotou said, "Though our martial arts may not match yours, Chief, there's strength in numbers. There’s no need for you to put yourself at risk alone. With us by your side, we’ve got your back."

"Zhang Biaotou is right."

Su Mo nodded. "Very well. Please instruct our men to meet in the main hall and await orders. I’ll join shortly."

"Yes."

Zhang Biaotou complied solemnly, turning and hurried away.

Yang Xiaoyun smiled and said:

"Zhang Biaotou is someone you can count on."

"Indeed, rock-solid."

Su Mo nodded.

The two exchanged a glance and smiled simultaneously.

Yang Xiaoyun spoke first:

"Hui River... going there and back will take quite some time.

And once you arrive, if you can’t find them immediately, you’ll have to ask around and dig deeper...

By the time you return, the alliance conference will likely be over."

"They’ve planned this carefully."

Su Mo said quietly.

"In that case, we must not let their efforts go to waste. I'll go ahead first. Yang Xiaoyun, you lead Zhang Biaotou and the others from the hall later."

"Got it."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded. "Watch your back. If they intend to play this act thoroughly, they surely won’t stop at just this. If you go alone, they might sacrifice a few lives to stop you."

"I know."

Su Mo acknowledged, then turned and walked out. He swung onto the tiger's back in one swift motion.

Roused by the pat, the tiger opened its eyes, let out a huge yawn, and took a step forward. With a powerful push from its hind legs, it sprang forward.

Paws barely grazed the courtyard wall, and in a single leap, it reached the rooftop. It moved lightly across the tiles, which creaked but didn’t collapse. Another leap, and it was already outside Ziyang Escort.

Outside the agency, the streets were crowded. The giant beast sent them scrambling.

Before they could react, the tiger had already headed north, exiting the northern city gate in moments and disappearing from sight.

A short while later, Yang Xiaoyun and her escorts galloped north on horseback.

They broke the no-riding rule, galloping through the streets.

Fortunately, it was still early, and there weren’t many pedestrians on the streets.

Among the few passersby, most were martial arts experts. Witnessing this, they shared confused looks.

"Why has Ziyang Escort suddenly sent everyone out?"

"Wasn’t that Chief Escort Su’s white tiger leading the way?"

"Indeed. The Tiger Lord’s Holy Son of White Tiger City—now Chief Escort Su is even the Holy King of White Tiger City. That’s old news by now."

"Chief Escort Su at the front, the rest following behind—what major incident has occurred?"

"Tomorrow is the Fallen Phoenix Alliance’s internal assembly... I wonder if Chief Escort Su can make it back in time?"

Whispers spread.

Meanwhile, at a breakfast stall opposite Ziyang Escort Agency, a man was holding a chipped white porcelain bowl, shoveling down tofu pudding with a spoon.

He then devoured half a meat pie lying beside him before standing up and leaving.

He moved like the wind, and in moments, he arrived at an inconspicuous house.

He shoved the door open and marched in.

In the main hall sat an elderly man eating breakfast.

The old man barely looked up, while the newcomer knelt and spoke softly:

"The tiger’s gone north."

"Any pursuers?"

"No sign of any."

The old man waved his hand. "Dismissed."

"Yes."

The man responded and turned to leave.

The old man sat at the table, finished his bowl of porridge, and carefully tidied up the table.

Then he went out for a walk and didn't come back until nearly noon.

Entering another room, he wrote down the four words spoken by the man earlier on a piece of paper before pulling out a black pigeon from the birdcage in the room.

He placed the note into the bamboo tube attached to the pigeon's leg and gave it a toss into the air.

The black pigeon was a special breed—once it flew out the window, it disappeared like a wisp of shadow, leaving no trace.

It finally came to rest but did not leave The Sunset City.

After drifting in lazy circles, it perched by the window.

The pigeon pecked twice at the window, and someone inside immediately swung it open, scooped up the pigeon.

They removed the bamboo tube and sent the bird on its way.

After scanning the note, they turned and left.

Exiting the room, they adjusted their clothes, rapped softly on the door.

The door opened at once, and the person outside spoke softly:

"Message from the old man."

The one inside took the letter:

"You may go."

"Yes."

The person outside gave a slight bow and departed.

The one holding the letter turned around, smiling, and said to another person in the room:

"Sorry to bother you."

The other wore a steel mask, obscuring their true appearance:

"No worries."

As they spoke, they casually grabbed the wine jug from the table, poured another cup, and slid it over:

"Drink."

The letter-holder nodded, sat down opposite them, and after reading the contents, smirked:

"The tiger heads north—this bodes well for us."

"Whether he goes or not, we still come out on top."

The masked figure across from them, however, seemed unconvinced:

"First of Donghuang—some title, huh?"

"I'd like to know who's stronger and who's weaker compared to me."

At this, the man opposite gave a quiet sigh.

"Everything is ready now, and there's no need to let this man get involved.

"I alone can decide tomorrow’s outcome.

"You, my friend, can also get what you want.

"As for Su Mo... it would be best if he doesn’t show up at all.

"Otherwise, it’s hard to say how things will play out."

"Hmm?"

The iron-masked man glanced at him.

"Are you really that afraid of him?"

"Do not underestimate Su Mo."

The man opposite had an uncharacteristically grim face.

"My lord could dominate all of Donghuang, yet this man killed him with his bare hands.

"Though I believe my lord’s abilities might have left the fight going either way,

"we’ve heard nothing from East City, which is unsettling.

"The East City Seven Sects took advantage to push east of Tianqu, exploiting Eternal Night Valley’s momentary weakness.

"If my lord lives, there’s no telling what he’d do.

"If he has perished, East City is finished.

"Now, our only hope now is the southwest. Think it over carefully."

"..."

The iron-masked man sat in silence for a moment before shaking his head.

"I still owe you one. This time, I’ll defer to you.

"But if the chance arises in the future, I will surely see who’s stronger—him or me."

"Naturally."

Relieved, the man opposite smiled.

"When the time comes, we’ll see how you stack up against the First of Donghuang—to see who comes out on top."

"Ha!"

The iron-masked man laughed heartily, his voice booming—then a muffled groan came from outside the window.

He turned to look, and with a sudden crash, the window burst open.

Outside, a man stood, blood dripping from his lips, about to bolt—but froze as the masked man raised a single palm, two opposing forces churning in his palm.

The man meant to leap out, but somehow, the moment he jumped, he wound up inside the room instead.

When he looked up again, he was already trapped in the iron-masked man’s grip.

"The Fallen Phoenix Alliance lives up to its name."

The iron-masked man nodded slightly. "The most dangerous place is exactly that—dangerous."

As he spoke, he glanced at the person opposite him.

The other man chuckled.

"Then let’s move somewhere else. We can’t afford to underestimate Wei Ruhan."

While the two were speaking, the man held by the iron-masked figure suddenly struck, raising both palms upward.

With his supreme martial arts, the iron-masked man naturally wouldn’t be hit by such a strike.

But the captive ripped off his iron mask.

The face under the mask was laid bare before the man in his grasp. The captive froze, then gasped:

"You—"

The iron-masked man frowned deeply.

"I didn’t mean to hurt you, but now you’re not walking away."

……

……

The next day!

October 25th—the day of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance’s grand assembly.

They’d set the meeting at the City Lord’s Manor.

No one questioned it.

Grand Alliance Leader Wei Ruhan wasn’t dead yet, after all.

By dawn, crowds were already swarming outside the City Lord’s Manor.

The buzzing crowd was there for the show.

The power struggle between the eight alliance leaders was finally coming to a head.

Everyone wondered—who’d take the throne as the next Grand Alliance Leader?

Street vendors, smelling profit, arrived hawking stools and snacks, setting up stalls to sell their goods. They were doing brisk business.

Martial artists clustered in groups, some standing, others seated on stools, chewing roasted peanuts and shooting the breeze.

Then came word that the alliance leaders were arriving at the City Lord’s Manor one after another.

Grand Alliance Leader Wei Ruhan held court in the manor.

Naturally, the Eighth Alliance Leader, Wei Ziyi, was also present.

Those present today were the Second Chief Hua Qianyu, the Third Chief Wu Daoyou, the Fourth Chief Zeng Youwang, the Fifth Chief Chi Lu, the Sixth Chief Xu Junsang, and the Seventh Chief Luo Ningguang.

Among them, Hua Qianyu and Wu Daoyou had rock-solid positions.

The Fourth Chief Zeng Youwang had held his rank for years without wavering.

As for the Fifth Chief Chi Lu, he had been promoted from the Seventh Chief.

The original Fifth Chief was Zhou Qingchuan, but because he allowed members of the Wusheng Hall to butcher innocent villagers within the Fallen Phoenix Alliance's territory, Su Mo, in fury, killed him at the city hall.

Thus, Chi Lu was promoted to the fifth position, overseeing a city.

The Sixth Chief Xu Junsang was a longtime leader.

He had long served as the deputy mayor of Jinyang City.

His stance was firm, never wavering or taking sides, staying above the factional squabbles within the alliance.

Lastly, the Seventh Chief Luo Ningguang was another protégé of Wu Daoyou.

He was appointed as the deputy mayor of Zhongfu City.

By rights, as the newcomer, he should have taken the eighth position, allowing Wei Ziyi to move up.

However, Wei Ziyi was still relatively young, and her eighth position was largely due to a well-orchestrated PR push, making her a bit out of her depth.

Thus, without a fuss, Luo Ningguang took the seventh position.

Now, Hua Qianyu, Chi Lu, and Wei Ziyi were already inside the city hall.

Xu Junsang arrived slightly late but kept to protocol.

Only Wu Daoyou had yet to appear.

As the sun climbed higher, whispers spread among the crowd.

"Wu Daoyou is riding high within the Fallen Phoenix Alliance. The Third Chief overshadows even the Second Chief."

"Hua Qianyu is just a woman—no surprise she can't measure up to a man."

"I doubt she even has the ambition to compete. Otherwise, how could she share turf without friction with Wei Ziyi?"

"After today, will the Fallen Phoenix Alliance become Wu's personal fief?"

"New boss, new crew... Once it changes hands, heads will roll."

As they spoke, a large group made a show of force at the end of the road.

Though they were not on horseback, their approach radiated intimidation.

Looking back, who else but the Second Chief Wu Daoyou led them?

By his side were the Fourth Chief Zeng Youwang and the Seventh Chief Luo Ningguang.

The three marched ahead, followed by hundreds of Fallen Phoenix Alliance disciples.

Clad in tri-colored uniforms, their aggressive demeanor made it clear—they meant trouble!