Chapter 387: The Disciples of the Shattered Star Sect

Chapter 387: Members of the Shattered Star Sect

Torchlight shattered the alley’s silence.

A corpse lay sprawled in the middle of the alley. From the back, it appeared to be a burly middle-aged man.

Bystanders huddled close, trading nervous looks.

A sudden death in the dead of night was enough to creep anyone out.

One brave soul reached to flip the body over, wanting to see who the unfortunate soul was.

But the moment their hand moved, a voice barked:

"Stop!!"

They jerked back, startled, and quickly turned around to see three individuals—clearly dressed differently from the island's residents—shouldering through the crowd and stepping forward.

Leading them was a middle-aged man, followed by a young man and a young woman. The one who had shouted was the young man among them.

The crowd visibly eased at their arrival.

Whispers rippled through the crowd:

"Thank heavens—the Shattered Star Sect’s experts are here."

"A midnight corpse? No wonder even *they* showed up."

"You think some masters duked it out here?"

"Didn’t hear a damn thing."

"You think it’s like Old Zhou next door brawling with someone? Loud enough to wake the dead in their graves?"

"I’ve heard that real pros kill silent as shadows."

"Yeah, like *you’d* know."

Among the crowd, Su Mo, Yang Xiaoyun, Wei Ziyi, and Little Situ Taoist—tagging along for the show—had naturally arrived as well.

They had also brought along Yu Shengnan, who was too spooked to stay alone at the inn.

From the gossip, Su Mo pieced together that there were actually members of the Shattered Star Sect stationed on Gupiao Island.

The South Sea’s factions weren’t as tight-knit as the Eastern Wastes’.

Big players loosely controlled the entire South Sea, while smaller factions mostly aligned themselves under the three great powers—yet remained a mess of loose threads.

Islands were spread so far apart, and in an era where communication was a pain, even factions weren’t as tight as you’d think.

The Shattered Star Sect, in fact, fell under the South Sea Alliance’s umbrella.

They were allies, not subordinates.

The islands near Shattered Star Bay all fall under the management of the Shattered Star Sect.

However, the fact that even the obscure Lone Gourd Island had guards was somewhat surprising to Su Mo.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, the three individuals had already approached.

The middle-aged man glanced down briefly before nodding to the young man beside him.

Without a word, the young man took out a pair of golden-threaded gloves from his pocket, put them on, and then flipped the corpse over.

The onlookers, eager with curiosity, craned their necks to look.

Yet, at the sight, they felt a chill.

The deceased was indeed a middle-aged man, a powerfully built man. His hands were covered in thick calluses, showing years of hard training.

Now, those calloused hands were tightly gripping his own throat.

His face was contorted in agony.

His eyes still open, were filled with shock and rage.

Most strikingly, his face had turned a dark, purplish-black, and a strange, foul odor faintly emanated from his mouth and nose.

Those who smelled it felt nauseous and dizzy, their heads pounding.

“Him?”

The middle-aged man’s expression changed slightly as he waved his hand.

“Everyone, step back. Don’t get too close.

“This man died of poisoning. His corpse still carries potent toxins. If you get too close, you might be poisoned too.”

“What?”

“Poison!”

“No wonder his face is so dark!”

Hearing this, the crowd quickly backed away, terrified of being contaminated.

The man who had earlier reached out to touch the corpse went pale, feeling as though he had nearly died.

The middle-aged man then turned to the young man and woman beside him.

“Let me test you both—do you know who this man was?”

The two youths looked at each other. The young woman’s eyes lit up as she smiled and said,

“Shishu, his strong frame and the calluses covering his hands suggest he trained in powerful external martial arts.

“The calluses are mostly on the palms, with some on the edges.

“This suggests he specialized in palm strikes.”

"The fact that you recognize him, Uncle, proves he's at least somewhat famous..."

She paused here and couldn't help glancing at the young man beside her. The young man had been listening attentively and, seeing her look, nodded eagerly:

"You're so right, Junior Sister!"

"..."

The girl clenched her teeth in annoyance, glaring at the young man.

Seeing this, the young man was completely smitten, thinking his junior sister looked beautiful no matter what she did. Now, with her irritated expression, she was even more captivating, leaving him completely spellbound. He had even forgotten what day it was.

Both the middle-aged man and the girl's faces fell. The girl sighed and said:

"Uncle, is this person the renowned Ling Yuanke, famous for his 'Qian Yuan Palm'?"

"Indeed, it is him."

The middle-aged man nodded. "His Qian Yuan Palm was brutally powerful, perfected through twenty years of rigorous training. Yet, who would have thought he would quietly arrive at Gupiao Island and ultimately meet his end here, a stranger in a strange land?"

"Let me test you again. Can you recognize what poison he was afflicted with?"

The three of them continued their examination as if they were alone, right there in the crowd.

Su Mo and the others listened nearby, lost in contemplation.

They had also heard of the name Ling Yuanke.

It wasn’t revealed by the two disciples of the Canglan Divine Blade, but rather from overhearing idle chatter on an island where they had stopped for supplies not long ago.

Thus, they knew he was a seafaring rogue.

For many years, he had traveled alone, earning his keep by taking down pirates on the open waters.

His kung fu was no joke.

However, upon hearing about the deadly poison he’d been hit with, Su Mo instinctively shot a glance at Little Situ Taoist.

He saw her cocking her head curiously, clearly quite intrigued.

He couldn’t help but smirk to himself.

With the Eastern Wastes and Southern Seas being worlds apart, it was unlikely Little Situ Taoist would be familiar with the deadly poisons of the Southern Seas.

This question also stumped the senior brother and junior sister pair.

The senior brother was too busy staring at his junior sister, while the junior sister, though book-smart and quick-witted, clearly had no answer to this either.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man smiled but showed no anger. Instead, he said gravely:

"He was hit with palm venom!"

"Palm venom?"

The pair froze, only to see the middle-aged man flip his hand dismissively.

With a flick of finger force, a strand of power lifted the clothes on the man's chest.

Yet, apart from a thick mat of chest hair, there was nothing.

The senior brother and junior sister both turned their gaze to the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man's lip curled and he said, "Turn him over."

The young man quickly nodded and flipped the corpse over, revealing a palm print on its back.

The palm print was inky black tinged with purple, not swollen but rather as though drawn on with ink.

"This is..."

The two of them once again looked at the middle-aged man in unison.

The middle-aged man intoned solemnly, "Indeed, it's the Five Festering Poison Palm."

"Five Festering Poison Palm?"

The senior brother and junior sister were both stunned, and then the young woman suddenly exclaimed,

"Uncle, are you referring to the Five Festering Death Palm from the Five Transformations Demonic Art? Could the killer be the Sick Prince?"

The middle-aged man glanced at her and nodded slightly.

"Exactly."

The young woman frowned deeply.

"The Sick Prince has wandered the jianghu for many years; he’s always walked the line between righteous and evil.

"His command of the Five Transformations Demonic Art is peerless. This art is tempered with deadly poisons—if struck by the Five Festering Death Palm, the poison seeps into the body, rotting the five viscera.

"No wonder there was such a foul stench emanating from his mouth and nose.

"But this man disappeared from the jianghu seven years ago. Many assumed he had died somewhere in the jianghu.

"To think... he would appear on Lonely Gourd Isle?"

"Well, that’s hardly surprising, after all..."

The senior brother instinctively began to speak, but after just a few words, he was met with daggered glares from both his uncle and his junior sister.

He promptly shut his mouth.

By now, Su Mo had gotten the gist and made to shepherd his group back to the inn.

But before they could leave, the middle-aged man behind them spoke up,

"Friends, a moment if you will."

Su Mo turned to look at him and quirked a smile.

"Do you mean us, elder?"

The middle-aged man gave a smiling nod. "Indeed."

With that, the three of them swiftly approached.

The middle-aged man clasped his fists and said:

"I am Zhang Quan of the Shattered Star Sect. May I ask your names?"

"You honor us, senior."

Su Mo smiled. "I am Su Mo, and this is my wife."

After introductions, Zhang Quan thought for a moment, clearly unfamiliar with Su Mo’s name, then nodded lightly and said:

"You seem new here?"

"We just arrived on the island at noon today. This is our first time here."

"I see."

Zhang Quan smiled. "What brings you to Lonely Gourd Island?"

The question was so direct that many in the vicinity turned their gazes toward Su Mo and his companions, their expressions wary—as if they thought he might be the Sick Prince mentioned earlier by the young woman.

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun shared a look before Su Mo smiled and replied:

"We’re just passing through, senior.

"We were on our way to visit family while traveling the martial world. We didn’t expect to run into trouble while staying here—quite a surprise."

"Visiting relatives?"

Zhang Quan frowned, almost asking which relatives they were visiting.

Lonely Gourd Island was small—why choose to stay here?

But that would be rude, so he simply nodded and said:

"You don’t seem like ordinary folk. Let me offer you a word of advice.

"Leave the island soon and don’t cause trouble."

"Thank you."

Su Mo clasped his fists in thanks.

Zhang Quan nodded and turned back to the young man, instructing:

"Take care of the body. Jing’er, come with me to look around."

The young man nodded and got ready.

As Zhang Quan turned to leave with the young woman, he suddenly turned back and asked the young man:

"Do you know what to do?"

"Keep him in the public burial ground?"

The young man tentatively asked.

Veins on Zhang Quan's forehead bulged:

"Use your gold-threaded gloves to move this person onto the cart, take him outside the town, find a remote spot, dig a pit twelve *Chinese* feet deep, and bury him there.

"Do you have any idea how lethal the Five-Corrosion Poison Palm is?

"Even with such precautions, within three years, nothing will grow within a ten-foot radius of his burial site.

"How could you possibly consider placing him in the public burial ground?

"Isn’t that just asking for deaths?"

The young man finally grasped the severity and quickly nodded:

"Understood, Master."

"Go now."

Zhang Quan waved his sleeve dismissively. With that, he led the girl away to continue their investigation elsewhere.

Su Mo, though unjustly scolded, felt no anger.

He merely watched the older man and the girl’s retreating figures, then scanned the shadows with a thoughtful frown.

Finally, he chuckled, took Yang Xiaoyun’s hand, and said to Wei Ziyi and the others:

"All right, that’s enough excitement. Time to head back."

"*So* boring..."

Wei Ziyi couldn’t help muttering.

Su Mo gave her a sidelong glance. "Then what would you consider interesting?"

"Well, naturally..."

She was about to speak but suddenly bit her tongue and sighed instead.

"Just leaving like this is *so* boring?

"Even if we’re here to visit relatives, we’re also supposed to be getting a taste of the *jianghu*.

"Now that there’s excitement here, shouldn’t we stay a few more days and see where this leads?

"If we bolt at the first sign of trouble, how is that any different from hiding under the covers at home? Might as well stay home!"

"You *always* talk too much."

Su Mo shook his head.

"But you do have a point. Fine, we’ll stay a few more days and see what happens.

"Let’s just hope we don’t get caught in the crossfire... Otherwise..."

As they conversed, their voices faded as they vanished into the alleyway.

The uncle and nephew duo, who had originally left to investigate the traces, had returned to perch on the roof's edge.

Watching the departing figures of Su Mo and his companions, Zhang Quan knit his brows tightly:

"Another fool who won't listen to reason."

"How many wandering warriors ever really take advice?"

The girl's eyes sparkled with intensity as she whispered:

"Uncle, do you think what they said was true or false?"

"Hmm...

"You can draw a tiger's stripes but not its bones; know a man's face but not his heart."

Zhang Quan shook his head lightly: "Hard to tell truth from lies. But since you ask, do you suspect their purpose is also that destination?"

"The timing's just too convenient."

The girl nodded softly:

"If it's family they're visiting, or sights they're seeing - with the whole South Sea to choose from, why pick Gupiao Island?

"And right when things are heating up?

"Doesn't pass the smell test."

"Hmm, Jing'er, your thoughts have always been sharper than your senior brother's."

Zhang Quan looked at his junior with satisfaction before saying darkly:

"We've given them fair warning and told them what we must.

"If they're also here for that purpose, or if they refuse to listen...

"Well, you can't save someone hellbent on destruction, and there's nothing more to say."

"Mmm."

The girl pondered this but couldn't help furrowing her brows:

"Ling Yuanke met a violent end, and even someone like the Sick Prince has come to Gupiao Island.

"A single Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture has attracted so many unsavory characters.

"The Day of Mist is still three days away—who knows what fresh hell might break loose before then?

"Uncle, should we send word back to the sect and request backup?

"Things here have already gone way beyond what we anticipated.

"Moreover, Master and the others are still radio silent.

"Whether Dragonwood Island is real or not, we still haven't laid eyes on it.

"But the people arriving grow more dangerous by the hour.

"Gupiao Island is Shattered Star Sect territory. Letting things spiral out of control here goes against everything we stand for."

"In this situation, I increasingly feel that just the three of us trying to get to the bottom of this is likely too difficult."

"Yeah."

Zhang Quan nodded lightly. "You’ve got a point. I’ll send word back to the sect and have them dispatch reinforcements."

"Then I’ll leave it to you, Uncle."

Hearing this, the girl finally relaxed.

……

……

The rest of the night was uneventful.

By the next morning, Xiao Ning was already waiting outside the door.

Nothing much happened that day—just poking around here and there with Xiao Ning leading the way.

But when evening rolled around and Xiao Ning was about to take his leave, Su Mo pulled him aside and muttered something to him.

After a moment, Xiao Ning walked off lost in thought.

That night, someone suddenly started banging on the inn’s door.

They were pounding so hard that the entire entrance shook.

The inn usually saw few guests, with only the odd traveler grabbing a bite or a drink.

Most of the time, it was rather deserted.

So there wasn’t even a waiter—the owner managed everything himself, running the place diligently.

Hearing the commotion, he threw on a coat and hurried to the door, thinking it must be an emergency.

But instead, it was Xiao Ning.

The innkeeper froze, then got mad—but before his anger could flare, he noticed Xiao Ning was cradling a little girl in his arms.

The girl’s face was ghostly pale, her eyes tightly shut. Even unconscious, she seemed to be enduring immense pain.

The innkeeper’s eyes widened.

"What’s wrong with the girl?"

It was a small town where everyone knew everyone.

The innkeeper had once considered asking Xiao Ning to help out at the inn, but Xiao Ning had refused, saying the place was dead and didn’t pay.

Now, seeing the girl in such a state, his face fell, and he quickly ushered the two inside.

Once inside, Xiao Ning ignored the innkeeper and rushed straight upstairs.

"Take it easy—you’ll wake the guests!"

Xiao Ning had no time to worry about such things.

In just a few steps, he had already reached the door. Not daring to knock, he knelt outside and desperately cried out:

"Big Brother Su, Big Sister, please save her!"

Inside, Yang Xiaoyun and Su Mo had naturally already awakened.

Wei Ziyi, however, was even quicker and had flung the door open.

She peeked outside and froze:

"What happened?"

Xiao Ning looked at Wei Ziyi and was about to speak when the door swung open. Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun, wearing their outer robes, emerged.

Seeing Xiao Ning kneeling on the ground with the little girl in his arms, Su Mo didn't even wait for him to explain before taking the child and handing her to Wei Ziyi:

"Get her to Little Situ."

"Alright."

Wei Ziyi nodded and hurried off.

Su Mo then yanked Xiao Ning to his feet:

"What's going on?"

Xiao Ning looked at Su Mo, then at Yang Xiaoyun beside him, and stammered, shocked:

"Big Brother Su... you, you... why are you... sharing a room with her?"