Chapter 367: Keeping the Guest

**Chapter 367: Forced Hospitality**

Ceng Chou was known by the alias "Sea Snake."

Sea snakes are lethally venomous, and this man was just as vicious and treacherous.

Seeing the burly man in blue bearing down on him with terrifying momentum, he knew he couldn’t take the blow head-on.

But if he didn’t intercept it… what would happen to his ship?

With that kind of force crashing down, the ship would probably shatter instantly.

For pirates, their vessel was their home, their stronghold—their lifeline.

Especially now, stranded in the open sea, with the merchant vessel nearby still untaken—destroying their own ship under such circumstances would lead to a dire outcome.

Thus, in a split second, he raised the blade in his hand.

Exhaling sharply, he lifted the sword, its blade glowing fiercer.

Suddenly, with a swift upward slash, a slash of energy split the waves.

Whine!!

A metallic whine rang out through the air as the blade’s energy surged forth, carving a white scar into the sea.

The burly man in blue, who had been impaled through the chest by Yang Xiaoyun’s spear, still clung to life.

He had only been stunned from slamming into the deck.

After being hurled out by Su Mo, the howling winds snapped him awake.

Yet just as he looked up and saw his leader, before relief could register, his boss raised his blade and swung.

For a moment, he was frozen in disbelief.

But no matter what, he was already a helpless projectile.

The blade’s energy was keen enough to split atoms, and his speed was even faster.

In an instant, the two forces collided.

A thunderous *crack* resounded, followed by the sound of tearing fabric.

The man’s body was bisected cleanly. The severed halves flew in opposite directions, arcing wildly before splashing down into the water.

This single strike spared the ship from destruction and averted mortal danger.

Yet Sea Snake Ceng Chou’s expression remained grim.

From the clash of energies, his sword quivered violently in his grip, forcing him to hide it beneath the ship’s railing, as it keened like a wounded beast.

Blood dripped steadily from the blade onto the deck—his own, as his grip had torn his palm open from the recoil.

Outwardly, he maintained a calm facade, but inwardly, his thoughts reeled like a typhoon.

At such a distance, hurling a person with such terrifying force was one thing…

The exchange of qi lasted only a moment, yet I ended up injured this badly.

Just what level of martial artist is the person who attacked from the Ziyang Escort’s ship?

"Nice sword work!"

Su Mo's voice rang out again in his ear:

"Your swordsmanship is godly—you cut people down like it’s nothing.

But killing your own men? That’s just cold."

"Hahahaha!"

Ceng Chou barked out a laugh.

"This fool ignored orders and disrespected you. Killing him now is my way of making it up to you."

Hearing this, Su Mo had to admit—this "Sea Snake" Ceng Chou was quite the schemer.

He started by sending that green-clad bruiser forward, clearly a dirty move.

When the big guy got wrecked, and the Ziyang Escort’s ship closed in, Ceng Chou even threw out his name and barked, "Clear out, unless you wanna die!"

Clearly trying to maintain his reputation—he was testing Su Mo, trying to scare him off, telling them to butt out.

But once Su Mo flexed his skills, Ceng Chou started kissing up fast.

First, he claimed the big guy acted alone.

Now he’s killing him as an apology.

Like he had nothing to do with it from the start.

Talk is cheap—actions tell the truth.

Everyone knew how things really went.

It was all about whether they’d play along.

Su Mo smirked.

"Got it. Boss Ceng cuts to the chase—I respect that."

Ceng Chou let out a relieved grin.

"The Ziyang Escort’s no joke either. If I wasn’t tied up right now, I’d buy you a drink and swap stories."

The merchants listening in felt their stomachs drop.

They knew Ceng Chou was scared of the Ziyang guy’s skills and didn’t dare push too hard, so he kept backing down.

And the Ziyang crew clearly wasn’t looking for a fight,

let alone interested in stepping in to save them…

They could only sigh in despair.

Resentment? Not really.

Out here on this vast sea, with endless horizons in every direction, Su Mo and his men rescuing others would be heroic—but no one could force them to help.

For now, they had no choice but to keep fighting.

One thing nagged at them—why did "Ziyang Escort Agency" ring a bell?

Escort agencies were rare in the South Sea—the business just wasn’t viable.

Small outfits couldn’t afford ships, much less upkeep.

The wealthy preferred trading—far safer than escort work in the martial world.

So "escort agency" was an unfamiliar term here.

But when or where they’d heard it before, they couldn’t recall.

Now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

With Ziyang Escort Agency gone, their fight was back on.

Then suddenly, they heard Su Mo laugh and say:

“Chief Ceng’s got a point. The sea’s endless—our crossing paths must be fate.

As the saying goes, 'There’s no time like the present.' I see no need to wait for another day to share a drink. I’ve got a feast ready on my ship—how about joining me, Chief Ceng?”

“…”

Ceng Chou and the merchant crew froze at Su Mo’s words.

But while Ceng Chou was stunned, his gut twisted, his face paling.

The merchant crew, though, breathed a little easier. They hadn’t expected Su Mo to step in.

As for the banquet aboard ship…

Nobody bought that.

Believe it or not, Su Mo was dead set on “hosting” them now—it all depended on whether Ceng Chou dared accept.

If he dared board, his fate was anyone’s guess.

If he didn’t…

Ceng Chou’s face flickered between green and white, wrestling with the choice.

Then Su Mo spoke again, still smiling:

“And you folks—may I ask who you are with?”

The merchant crew exchanged looks before one stepped forward, clasping his fists:

“Well met, brother of Ziyang Escort Agency. We’re the Bohai Trading Company, Bohai Society, out of Pingyang Island—we sail for a living.”

Pingyang Island?

The name sent a ripple through the ship.

Pingyang Island had been one of their planned stops.

Unexpectedly, they ran into Pingyang Islanders here.

"Ah, I see."

Su Mo smiled and said, "I’m a businessman too—we’re in similar lines of work. Since we’ve met at sea today, why not come aboard, share a drink, and make a friend?"

"This..."

The people from Bohai Trading Company hadn’t expected this. Just moments ago, they were debating whether Ceng Chou would dare board the ship—a difficult choice.

Now the tables had turned.

They hesitated briefly.

Suddenly, someone laughed:

"At this point, words are useless.

"Whether we die at the hands of Ceng Chou, the Sea Snake, or fall prey to the Ziyang Escort Bureau, it makes little difference.

"We may as well gamble on it."

Everyone immediately nodded in agreement. Then the man who had spoken to Su Mo earlier said:

"Very well. Since you're inviting us, we can't very well refuse.

"But we wonder if Ceng Chou would allow us to meet with our new friend here?"

Ceng Chou stared fixedly at the Ziyang Escort Agency's main ship.

After a long pause, he finally waved his hand:

"Fall back, all of you!!"

His order, infused with inner force, sent the pirates on the merchant ship scrambling to retreat to their own vessel.

Seeing this, the group aboard the trading vessel finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At once, several figures sprang forward, gliding across the water in a few light steps before landing on the deck of Su Mo’s ship.

Their eyes flicked over Su Mo and his companions—then widened in surprise.

They hadn’t expected the speaker from the Ziyang Escort Agency to be so young.

A young-sounding voice didn’t guarantee a young face.

From Su Mo’s earlier words and the depth of his inner force, the men from the Bohai Trading Company had assumed the leader of the Ziyang Escort Agency was a grizzled, steady-handed martial arts master.

Now they saw he was younger than nearly all of them.

But in martial arts, skill outranks age—the strong lead.

Today, they already owed him their lives; how could they dare to look down on him for his youth?

They quickly moved to bow in thanks.

Five men approached in all.

There were four men and one woman, the oldest of whom appeared to be in his fifties, looking rather frail.

The other two were middle-aged men; one was dressed as a businessman, holding an iron abacus in his hand.

The number of beads on the abacus was clearly incorrect, perhaps serving as this man's weapon.

The other was dressed as a wandering knight, with a long sword hanging from his waist.

The last man was young, injured, with a torn piece of clothing on his shoulder revealing a faint bloodstain.

The youngest was the woman.

She was only sixteen or so, her eyes curiously scanning over Su Mo and the others.

They immediately introduced themselves, gaining some understanding of each other.

The oldest man called himself Ding Luo, while the one holding the iron abacus was named Ning Tieqiu.

The man with the long sword at his waist was called Li Xuantong.

The young man surnamed Wang was named Wang Chengying.

The last young lady also surnamed Wang did not give her name, but it was known that she was Wang Chengying's sister.

Su Mo exchanged a few casual words with them, then noticed the pirate ship where Zeng Chou, the sea snake, sat, gradually moving away.

Clearly, he knew today's situation was beyond salvaging.

After clashing with Su Mo in mid-air, he was already quite injured; if they truly engaged in combat, it would likely end in death.

This man had remarkable foresight, and in their few exchanges, he deliberately played the underdog.

In the end, Su Mo still showed no signs of budging. If Su Mo wasn’t going to leave, then there was nothing left for him to do but go himself.

So, while Su Mo was meeting with the members of Bohai Trading Company, he ordered his men to turn the ship around and slip off quietly...

Watching Ceng Chou depart, Wang Chengying and the others exchanged uneasy glances—their brows furrowed in unison.

The young Miss Wang snarled through clenched teeth:

“That bastard’s downright vile! Next time we meet, I won’t let him get away!”

“Ah… youthful bravado,” Wang Chengying sighed.

“Today, Ceng Chou hadn’t even made a move, yet we were barely holding our own. If he had acted, we likely wouldn’t have survived long enough for the members of the Ziyang Escort to arrive.

“If we encounter him again, run for our lives if possible—don’t engage under any circumstances.”

Hearing these words, Su Mo couldn’t help but glance at Wang Chengying again.

He nodded in quiet agreement.

When strength falls short, fleeing is the wisest choice.

That’s the smart way to stay alive.

Yet as they watched Ceng Chou disappear into the distance, Su Mo and his companions shared a meaningful look—then Su Mo let out a dry laugh:

"Why is Chief Ceng leaving in such a hurry?"

The voice carried over to Ceng Chou's pirate ship, but he didn't even utter a sound, only ordering his men to sail faster—lest the formidable escorts from the Purple Sun Escort Bureau catch up.

Su Mo sighed at this sight:

"I had arranged a banquet aboard my ship, hoping to get to know some new acquaintances I met at sea.

"Yet, Chief Ceng slipped away without so much as a goodbye.

"Truly, people's hearts have turned wicked these days…

"All that talk earlier about toasting and celebrating together—none of it could be trusted.

"Today, it's clear he has no respect for my hospitality…

"In that case, don’t blame me for forcing my guest to stay!"

As his words fell, a sudden gale swept across the sea.

The people from Bohai Trading Company were startled, feeling the wind roar past in an instant.

When they turned back, Su Mo had vanished.

Bewildered, they looked toward Yang Xiaoyun and the others:

"This... Chief Escort Su, he—?"

Yang Xiaoyun smiled and said:

"My husband seldom entertains guests, but today he has taken the notion—naturally, he won’t suffer guests to depart so readily.

"He’s gone to persuade them to stay."

"Persuade them to stay," of course, was a polite way of putting it.

Ding Luo and the others exchanged uncertain looks. After a brief hesitation, Ning Tieqiu carefully spoke up:

"Madam Su, Chief Escort Su’s martial arts are indeed formidable.

"But that sea snake, Ceng Chou, is no pushover either.

"With his dragon-patterned broadsword and a body like tempered steel, he’s carved out quite a reputation in the South Sea.

"Under him are several skilled fighters as well. No offense meant, but we were outmatched by them in battle.

"Now that Chief Escort Su has charged after them, we shouldn’t take this lightly… Perhaps we should also—"

Before he could finish weighing his words, another blast of wind howled by.

Looking up, they saw a figure standing before them—Su Mo.

But in his grasp, by the scruff, was another man.

This man had a brutish countenance, his chest bare and covered in a thick mat of hair, clutching a dragon-patterned broadsword in his hand.

If he stood up straight, he would undoubtedly be a towering figure.

Unfortunately, at this very moment, he was being gripped like a scrawny chick in someone’s hand.

His face was twisted with panic and confusion.

Looking around, he realized he had been taken from his own ship to an entirely different place.

This… this… this is absolutely unbelievable!

What the hell is going on?

Su Mo’s movement technique was too fast—Ceng Chou hadn’t even had time to react.

He’d barely decided to make a run for it when a sinister breeze swept past, and suddenly he was whisked through the air.

Before he could make sense of what was happening, he blinked and found himself staring at the banner above the ship that read “the Ziyang Escort Agency.”

His heart pounded wildly, sweat prickling at his brow.

He felt like he had seen a ghost.

While Ceng Chou thought he had encountered a ghost, Wang Chengying and the others felt as if they had witnessed divine power.

What sorcery is this?

Plucking their captain from the open sea like taking candy from a baby?

Two blasts of wind blew by without so much as a glimpse of anyone, and then Su Mo just appeared out of nowhere, holding the Sea Snake in his grip?

What kind of martial arts is this?

Among them, Ding Luo’s expression shifted slightly, as if struck by a sudden realization.

He glanced again at the words “the Ziyang Escort Agency” on the banner overhead and nearly cried out in shock, choking back the sound just in time.

But when he looked again at Su Mo, his eyes were filled with nothing but dread.

Meanwhile, Su Mo studied the Sea Snake with a crooked grin:

“Boss Ceng, I’m a bit tight-fisted by nature, so I don’t often invite people.

“I made a sincere offer today, and you blew me off completely.

“You don’t owe me an explanation or something?”

Ceng Chou didn’t dare so much as mutter a curse. He turned to glance at his pirate ship—his crew hadn’t noticed yet that their leader had been snatched away.

The ship was drifting farther and farther away, nearly gone from sight.

Dread pooled in his gut—what in the world was he supposed to do now?

He turned back to Su Mo and sucked in a shaky breath:

“…The Ziyang Escort Agency, huh? Hell of a trick.

“For a kid your age, you’ve got some serious skills. Today, I know when I’m beat. Mind telling me who you are?”

“Don’t sweat it, Boss Ceng.”

Su Mo smiled and said, "I am Su Mo, head escort of the Ziyang Escort Agency. It's our first meeting today—please forgive my eagerness to keep you here, Brother Ceng."

"..."

Ceng Chou didn't even reply.

It was bad enough that he wanted to keep a guest—but why had he also sealed the guest's pressure points?

Ceng Chou had already secretly tried to circulate his qi, only to find he couldn't muster even a wisp of it.

Realizing he was now completely at the other's mercy, though unwilling, he could only accept his predicament.

He had considered speaking some brave words to preserve his dignity, but after hesitating, he dared not rashly open his mouth.

If he were to say something like, "Do as you please—kill or maim me," and Su Mo actually took him up on it, what then?

As the saying went, "He held all the cards." For now, he could only go along with things.

However, Su Mo did not make things difficult for him.

With a wave of his hand, he had a feast prepared.

The ship had always been well-stocked with provisions, so everything was readily available.

Soon, a banquet was laid out.

Everyone took their places according to rank, while Wang Chengying and the others expressed their profuse thanks to Su Mo.

They also took the opportunity to probe into Su Mo’s origins.

When they learned Su Mo hailed from the Eastern Wastes, those present wore different expressions.

Ding Luo seemed to have already guessed something, and his manner grew even more restrained.

The others found the name increasingly familiar, though the memory eluded them.

Ceng Chou knit his brows.

It wasn’t unheard of for pugilists from the Eastern Wastes to come to the Southern Sea, but such encounters were rare.

And those who did appear were rarely true masters.

Yet now, it seemed a dragon had come ashore.

Su Mo seemed oblivious to their reactions and offhandedly asked about the origins of the Bohai Trading Company.

Only then did he learn that this trading house was no common establishment.

It was one of the members of the Hundred-Clan Trade Alliance of the Southern Sea.

"Hundred" was just a round number—it didn't mean exactly a hundred families.

The Wang family, to which the Wang siblings belonged, had founded the Bohai Society generations ago.

Passed down through time, it had expanded significantly.

In these waters, it carried a notable reputation.

At this point, Wang Chengying couldn't resist shooting a glance toward Ceng Chou, concern knitting his brow.

"This shipment wasn't supposed to be too difficult. Someone like Big Boss Zeng shouldn't have even noticed cargo of this scale in the first place.

Yet I wonder, why did you suddenly target our ship this time?"

"Oh?"

Zeng Chou shot a glance at Wang Chengying and sneered,

"What's really on your ship? Must I say it aloud?"