Chapter 348: Joke

**Chapter 348: A Joke**

"No room left for me?"

Wei Qixiong had come today sure of victory.

But he never expected to first clash with Wei Ruhan, only to be run through the chest by Wu Daoyou at a critical moment.

Just as he was about to seize Wei Ziyi, he was struck with internal injuries by the person Su Mo hurled at him.

Now, both internal and external wounds plagued him. He kept the broken blade lodged in his chest to prevent excessive bleeding.

The Fallen Phoenix Alliance had surrounded the area.

If he had captured Wei Ziyi, he might still have had some leverage.

There might still have been a way out.

Yet at this crucial moment, Ren Xiongfei abandoned him.

Rage consumed him completely—no longer did he consider gains or losses. He only wanted to go on a rampage and vent his fury.

Even if it meant being hunted down and killed by the Fallen Phoenix Alliance, it would be a fitting end.

And then Su Mo arrived.

Looking around, he felt there was no place left for him in this world.

Neither family nor friends could be trusted.

Suddenly, he tipped his head back and roared with laughter, crying out in despair:

"Time forsakes me, and Heaven abandons me!

"Su Mo, you insolent brat, how dare you talk such trash?

"In a world without heroes, even fools like you prosper! Today, I shall show you my *Cosmic YinYang Mill Disc!*"

As his voice fell, he suddenly pressed several vital points near his wound. Focusing his power, with a sharp *shing,* the broken blade shot toward Su Mo!

Su Mo shook his head lightly and flicked a finger. A gust of energy struck the blade, causing a *ding*—the broken blade shattered into pieces.

But the fragments did not scatter; they hung suspended in mid-air, held by an unseen force.

Wei Qixiong widened his stance, moving his palms before him.

A deep boom shook the air. The ground beneath trembled faintly. Above, the last few roof tiles rattled violently.

Before they could fly off, they disintegrated into dust with a thunderous crash.

Su Mo scanned the scene, thinking that this man’s martial arts were wasted on fighting—he’d be better suited for demolition.

Yet at this moment, only he could afford such idle thoughts.

Everyone else, witnessing such terrifying power, didn’t dare linger.

They scrambled backward in haste, those near the windows just dove out the windows.

But the crowd outside was too thick—those who jumped out weren’t fighting their way through and naturally lacked the resolve to cut a path forward.

Before their feet could even touch the ground, they were shoved right back in.

Swearing erupted from all sides.

At that moment, Wei Qixiong slammed his foot down on the ground, his body wrapped in swirling Yin and Yang energies as he launched upward like a whirling top, hurtling straight for Su Mo.

His palms parted and merged, morphing into the Cosmic YinYang Mill Disc!

"Good!"

Su Mo gave a slight nod. Even before the palm force reached him, the air around him warped.

The floor beneath, the space above—tugged by unseen forces, Su Mo felt energy currents surging from every direction, trying to twist his body and shift his stance.

Yet with deep reserves of inner power, Su Mo remained unaffected; though he felt it, it posed no real threat.

In an instant, purple light flared behind him, his eyes gleaming purple.

He crossed his palms, then slowly lifted them upward—

Purple Sun Divine Palm!

The Cosmic YinYang Mill Disc and the Purple Sun Divine Palm met in a thunderous collision.

BOOM!!!

Wei Qixiong, hanging in midair, poured his energy into the clash as layer upon layer of Yin and Yang force collided with Su Mo’s palm strike.

Still, the Yin and Yang energies transformed, eroding Su Mo’s pure Yang energy.

For a moment, Wei Qixiong was wreathed in violet fire, as if he himself were using pure Yang kung fu.

As his inner energy flowed, Wei Qixiong felt each bit of Su Mo’s force inching toward him—each bit crushed away in turn.

Though his own energy couldn’t yet penetrate Su Mo’s defenses, nor could the YinYang Mill fully crush him, Wei Qixiong was confident he could grind Su Mo down entirely.

He threw back his head and laughed, triumph plain on his face:

"Some ‘First of Donghuang’—is this all you’ve got?"

Su Mo just smirked, saying nothing, holding his ground.

At first, Wei Qixiong still brimmed with pride and confidence. But as time passed, Su Mo’s energy remained relentless and unwavering.

Bit by bit, it came—bit by bit, it was crushed, without so much as a ripple.

His expression stayed calm, like this was nothing to him.

But for Wei Qixiong himself…

Each time he wore down Su Mo’s energy, though it took little out of him…

But the buildup became increasingly overwhelming.

At first, his internal energy could still hold steady, but gradually it became insufficient to sustain the balance.

By now, he was clearly losing ground.

His internal energy had reached its limit, yet Su Mo remained completely unfazed throughout.

"You—"

Wei Qixiong only now began to understand what was happening.

He wanted to speak, but after uttering a single word, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

In martial arts battles, inner energy clashes are always deadly dangerous.

One wrong move could lead to severe injury or instant death.

At first, he was in control, even exchanging a few words with Su Mo. But now, after just one syllable, his energy flow went haywire, worsening his internal injuries.

He didn’t dare utter another word.

His mind raced, desperate to break away.

But retreat was never so simple.

A fight always takes two—if you want to pull out, you have to ask your opponent’s permission.

The moment his internal energy faltered slightly, he could no longer counter the force Su Mo sent his way. Instantly, his meridians seared like they were on fire.

Seeing this, Su Mo broke into a smile:

"My apologies, my apologies.

"I didn't expect you to suddenly change tactics. If it's too much for you, shall I ease up a bit?"

"......"

Wei Qixiong’s face turned beet red.

Whether from pushing his internal energy to the limit or sheer humiliation at Su Mo’s words, he couldn’t tell.

Blinded by fury, he spat out another mouthful of blood.

Su Mo gave a slight shake of his head:

"The Cosmic YinYang Mill Disc is indeed a formidable martial art.

"In this path, you really have mastered it.

"But to rule with it? You're not worthy!

"Wei Damingzhu wanted you dead—fatherly mercy, pitiful really.

"I've got no stake in you, yet even if I kill you, I'll make sure you die with understanding.

"Now that you’ve given it your all... my turn now."

With those words, before Wei Qixiong could react, Su Mo released a crushing wave of energy with devastating force.

If earlier Su Mo's inner force was like a gurgling stream—continuous but not fierce—then in this instant, that stream suddenly transformed into raging tidal waves.

Striking with the fury of nature itself, who could possibly withstand it?

Before he could even react, Wei Qixiong was sent hurtling backward, crashing to the ground like a limp rag doll.

He tried to rise, but his body was completely spent, devoid of even a trace of strength.

Worse still, his meridians felt like they were on fire, the pain unbearable.

For a moment, he was utterly terrified.

He looked up at Su Mo in dread, fearing the man might step forward to finish him off.

Yet Su Mo simply stood his ground, arms folded behind his back, his gaze shifting to the equally immobilized Ren Xiongfei nearby:

"Hall Master Ren, you've certainly given Su Mo quite the chase."

Ren Xiongfei was, of course, not dead.

Su Mo had intercepted the four of them but held back from delivering killing blows—instead, he tossed them like human projectiles at Wei Qixiong.

Ren Xiongfei had been the first to arrive.

Though Wei Qixiong despised him for his heartless betrayal and abandonment, at that moment he couldn't have struck back even if he wanted to—he could only shove Ren Xiongfei aside to avoid being injured by the inner force clinging to his body.

Now, lying on the ground, Ren Xiongfei looked up at Su Mo upon hearing his words:

"You… how are you here?"

Su Mo waved a hand dismissively. "No point discussing that now. If you're truly curious, I'll tell you later.

"Right now, I'd like to ask Hall Master Ren a question…

"Was it really Huang Yuan—the steward—who ambushed this second son of the Wei family back then?"

Ren Xiongfei paused, glanced at Wei Qixiong lying nearby, and sighed.

"Obviously not."

"…"

Wei Qixiong whirled to face Ren Xiongfei. "What did you say?"

"The Triple Ultimate Finger Strike may belong to Huang Yuan, but my lord is a scholar of unmatched knowledge.

"Creating a technique resembling the Triple Ultimate Finger Strike would be child's play for him.

"Although the energy flow techniques differ somewhat,

"I doubt Wei Qixiong could tell the difference."

Ren Xiongfei held nothing back, though he sighed to himself.

Truthfully, had things not already gone this far, he'd never have shown up.

Wusheng Hall hadn’t managed to detain Su Mo, which was something he hadn’t anticipated.

After staging that dramatic farewell scene at the forbidden grounds behind Wusheng Hall that day, he’d raced straight to the Fallen Phoenix Alliance.

He’d figured that, at minimum, Su Mo would wait in Wusheng Hall until Wan Yilan and Li Xuechun’s wedding concluded before returning to Sunset City.

This was the deal he’d struck with Madam Wan earlier.

Madam Wan would claim the spoils from the Endless Prison, seize control of Wusheng Hall, and use the wedding to delay Su Mo, while he could proceed with his grand plans in the Fallen Phoenix Alliance.

But Su Mo came back early.

So Ren Xiongfei started thinking about bailing.

The problem was, Wei Qixiong had already been invited by then.

He wanted to withdraw, but Wei Qixiong refused.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, he ultimately pulled a bluff—sending a letter to Ziyang Escort to lure Su Mo out of Sunset City.

That was the only way they could step into the city lord’s manor now.

Otherwise, if Su Mo intended to protect Wei Ziyi, how could they dare mess with someone like that, no matter how capable they were?

Even so, Ren Xiongfei remained cautious.

He’d stationed the old man at the northern gate, ready to sound the alarm at the first sign of Su Mo, upon which they would immediately withdraw.

But no word came.

Not because the old man was too frail or his eyesight too poor to spot Su Mo…

But because Su Mo had already been inside Sunset City before they even began monitoring the northern gate.

The old man’s watch had been pointless.

Despite receiving no signal from the old man, Ren Xiongfei was still on edge.

When he realized Wei Ruhan had set a trap to flush out the schemers, he made up his mind to bolt.

Earlier, when Wei Qixiong and Wei Ruhan clashed, the outcome—regardless of how the two perceived it—looked like a deadlock to everyone else.

Under such circumstances, with shifting advantages and everyone now encircled by the Fallen Phoenix Alliance, Ren Xiongfei’s dread only deepened.

He couldn’t shake the sense that someone else was watching him through all the lies.

So he cut his losses, ditched Wei Qixiong, and ran with his men.

But… he still wound up in this mess.

In truth, the second he saw Su Mo, Ren Xiongfei knew where his gut feeling had come from.

He also understood one more thing—the game was up!

Since that was the case, if Su Mo wanted answers, he’d give them to him.

This guy had the Painful Mantra, and Wei Qixiong was now as good as a dead dog. Suffering the Painful Mantra’s agony over a spent pawn just wasn’t worth it.

"Indeed, it is Lord of Night."

Hearing this, Su Mo showed no trace of doubt and nodded slightly:

"The Lord of Night was truly a scholar of unparalleled depth. Since I, Su Mo, stepped into the jianghu, though I have met many, the one who left the deepest impression was him...

A shame he died prematurely."

"...You!"

Ren Xiongfei's face darkened: "My lord... my lord is inscrutable, with grand ambitions. He would never die so easily."

"Oh?"

Su Mo smiled: "Twenty-four years ago, Wei Qixiong ventured deep into the Ten-Thousand-Mile-Glacier. Back then, the Lord of Night specifically created a martial technique similar to the Triple Ultimate Finger Strike for you to ambush him. Eventually, when he reached his lowest point, you rescued him.

All just to infiltrate the Fallen Phoenix Alliance.

The plan itself wasn't especially clever, but you bided your time patiently for over twenty years.

First, you plotted against Wusheng Hall, then targeted the Fallen Phoenix Alliance.

Hoping to stir up trouble in the southwest.

The matter of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance was, in truth, your final hope among all your schemes.

If even this failed... then the years of plotting by the Eternal Night Valley would come to naught.

Yet for such a major operation, the Lord of Night did not come in person.

From this, it’s clear: he's truly dead."

...

At this point in their exchange, much had already become clear.

Those present couldn’t help but look at Wei Qixiong.

Wei Qixiong lay there stunned, his expression blank, lost in who knows what thoughts.

Suddenly, he snapped his gaze toward Ren Xiongfei:

"Why... why me?"

"...Why you?"

Ren Xiongfei glanced at him and shook his head lightly: "Your father said you were paranoid and vicious—he wasn't wrong about that.

Moreover, you only suspect what you choose to question,

not what deserves suspicion.

If someone treats you poorly, you suspect they have hidden agendas, seeking to harm you.

If someone treats you well, you don't question them at all.

My lord once said, those who nurse grievances see everything as unfair.

You're full of resentment, so no matter what happens, you take it personally."

"From childhood to adulthood, you've always been this way—too deeply ingrained to change.

"So even the smallest disagreement would be enough for you to leave the Fallen Phoenix Alliance.

"Then, with just a little manipulation,

even the tiniest nudge was all it took, and you believed completely and utterly.

"It wasn’t because our methods were brilliant—they were exactly what you wanted.

"These things were already in your heart, so naturally, we were on the same page.

"Inevitably, then, you became our tool."

Wei Qixiong's face turned ashen, then beet-red upon hearing this. Suddenly, he pointed at Wei Ruhan and shouted:

"But he confessed! He confessed to all of it!

"He said with his own mouth that Old Huang ambushed me.

"He said with his own mouth that he wanted me dead!!"

"Even now, you still don't understand?"

Su Mo sighed. "The reason Wei Damingzhu said that was out of pity for you...

"Even if you kept making mistakes.

"Even if your sins ran as deep as the ocean...

"Even if he wanted to remove you from the family,

"in his heart, he still saw you as his son.

"He said that just because his heart couldn't take it."

"My heart couldn't take it..."

As those words reached him, Wei Qixiong, as though finding hidden strength, suddenly sprang up.

He looked toward Wei Ruhan—

and saw nothing but sorrow-filled gaze in his eyes.

Their eyes met, and the old man heaved a heavy sigh:

"Chief Escort Su, why push this point?

"Why drag this out? Why not let him die with this anger inside?

"Why not let his whole life become one big joke?"

"It's true..."

Wei Qixiong stared at Wei Ruhan, listening to these words, the fire in his eyes slowly fading.

Looking around at last, a low laugh started to bubble up from him—quiet at first, growing more hysterical until, laughing through his tears, he cried:

"I murdered my own brother..."

"You killed my brother...

"Burning with resentment, I thought you treated me unfairly, Father.

"Convinced the Fallen Phoenix Alliance had betrayed me.

"Never imagined I’d been played all along...

"A farce—what a damn farce!"

He clenched his fists, shut his eyes tightly, then looked up again, his gaze settling on Wei Ziyi before flicking to Hua Qianyu.

Giving a slight nod, he said to Wei Ziyi,

"...You really are my elder brother’s daughter.

"Come here. Let me say something to you."

"Ziyi," her mother warned, frowning slightly and tugging at her daughter’s arm to stop her from stepping forward.

Wei Ziyi glanced at Su Mo, who gave a faint nod. She patted Hua Qianyu’s hand reassuringly and walked toward Wei Qixiong.

Meanwhile, Su Mo palmed an iron pellet.

Wei Qixiong simply stared at Wei Ziyi, then laughed after a long silence.

"How blind I was—a fool consumed by delusion. Now that I look at you, your brow truly carries traces of my brother.

"And you’ve inherited your mother’s beauty.

"She was the Qi family’s treasured daughter from the Southern Sea. But now, in these dark times, I doubt the Qis would claim her.

"I’ve no regrets left in this life—save one. I won’t let my martial legacy die with me... Since you carry the Wei bloodline, please...

"Take this from me!!!"

As he spat those final words, he suddenly thrust out both palms. Wei Ziyi’s hands shot up reflexively, and their palms met at the Laogong pressure points.

The power of Wei Qixiong’s Cosmic YinYang Mill Disc surged steadily into Wei Ziyi’s body.