Chapter 392: Arrival

Chapter 392: Arrival

The Chief Escort requests your presence!

At the sound of these five words, Cheng Suying and Duan Renjie felt their scalps tingle.

Although Su Mo always greeted them with a smile,

and his words were courteous,

they saw him as the epitome of a smiling tiger.

No one knew what terrifying things he might say with that cheerful smile.

As they ventured deeper into the South China Sea, the hidden meanings in their words were gradually exposed by Su Mo.

This made the two of them extremely uneasy, fearing that Su Mo would settle accounts with them.

However, since Su Mo set foot in the South China Sea, he seemed more interested in capturing people,

and paid little attention to the two of them.

This allowed their anxiety to gradually subside.

But now, hearing that they were being summoned again, their scalps tingled once more.

Despite the unease, they knew they had to go.

The two of them got up and followed the two attendants out the door.

After twisting and turning through corridors, they arrived at the entrance of another storage room.

This room was slightly larger, which Su Mo had set up as a reception room.

Unfortunately, since arriving in the South Sea region, it had rarely been used.

Today, it was finally being put to use.

Just as the two reached the door, they heard a somewhat familiar voice from inside:

"Brother Su Mo, you are too modest. Even a Martial Arts Master like Sick Prince is no match for you.

"With such martial arts, you undoubtedly stand at the absolute pinnacle of the martial world.

"Previously, the three of us, uncle and his nephews, were truly blind to your greatness."

Cheng Suying and Duan Renjie exchanged puzzled looks.

The words themselves were nothing extraordinary, but why did the voice sound so familiar?

Had Old Su finally extended his sinister reach to someone they knew?

At that moment, the servant announced them, and Su Mo's voice followed:

"Let them in."

The two promptly stepped into the modest reception room.

There, they saw Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun seated at the head of the table, while a young woman with a pallid complexion sat to their left.

On the ship, Little Situ was sitting in front of her, one hand taking her pulse while the other searched among the bottles and jars on a small table.

These bottles and jars had all been taken from the Sick Prince.

Since the poison was administered by the Sick Prince, the fastest cure had to come from him.

As for Cheng Suying and Duan Renjie, the moment they laid eyes on Zhou Wenjing, it was as if frozen in place.

They stared blankly at Zhou Wenjing, momentarily disoriented.

It was as if their journey to the Eastern Wastes had never happened, and they were still back in their glory days sailing the Southern Seas.

Zhou Wenjing also turned her gaze toward them and immediately lit up, instinctively trying to stand up—only to be pulled back by Little Situ:

"Sister Cheng, Dummy Duan, you really are on this ship!

"Brother Su mentioned it, but I didn’t believe him.

"What are the odds?

"Out of all the people in the world, we’ve all ended up knowing Brother Su one after another."

"Miss Zhou..."

Duan Renjie blurted out, wanting to say something, but Cheng Suying grabbed his arm and cut in smoothly with a smile:

"Wenjing, I never thought we’d meet again here.

"It’s been a year—how have you been?

"And how’s your master doing?"

Cheng Suying, after all, had more tact than Duan Renjie.

Her two questions served different purposes—one was small talk, the other digging for answers.

Zhou Wenjing sighed upon hearing this:

"Sister Cheng, you see, right now, I’m actually searching for my master. If not for that, I wouldn’t have met Su Mo and the others at sea."

Hearing this, Cheng Suying felt torn between relief and dread in her heart.

The relief came from Zhou Wenjing’s words, which made it clear they weren’t enemies with Su Mo—at least for now, they were getting along.

Her heart sank, however, because Zhou Wenjing’s master was absent.

Otherwise, with such a powerful ally, if they worked together, there might have been a real chance to break free from Su Mo.

She knew better than to hope that Zhou Wenjing’s master alone could stand a chance against Su Mo...

That was impossible!

Though their understanding of Su Mo’s martial arts was limited, they still knew enough to be wary.

Given his skills, in a direct confrontation...

Forget about Zhou Wenjing's master; even with my own master, the Canglan Divine Blade, they'd probably both end up captured by him.

Now that Zhou Wenjing's master is also absent, this goes even more unsaid. We shouldn't even think about it.

Since Su Mo had us siblings brought out, it's clear he doesn't care who knows he's holding us.

If we cause unnecessary trouble, we might end up dragging Zhou Wenjing down with us, suffering the same fate.

Immediately putting on a confused look, she asked:

"Oh? What happened to Elder Li?"

"Ah, it's all such a mess, I really don't know where to begin."

Zhou Wenjing sighed but then smiled:

"But fortunately, now that we've reunited, we'll have plenty of time to talk.

"You two are really something—since returning from Eastern Desolation, why didn't you let us know?"

Is it that we didn't want to inform you?

Cheng Suying and Duan Renjie shared a look of helplessness.

Having fallen into this fiend's clutches, we hardly got a chance to step onto the deck.

How could we have informed you?

As Cheng Suying weighed her words, she suddenly heard Little Situ Taoist say with a smile:

"Found it."

From among the collection of bottles and vials, she retrieved one and took out a pill:

"This is it. Take it, and that'll cure your poisoning."

"Thank you, Miss Civil Affairs Minister."

Zhou Wenjing nodded eagerly, accepted the pill, and without hesitation, swallowed it.

Duan Renjie started and seemed about to say something, but his senior sister pulled his sleeve again.

The words he had been hesitating over were swallowed back down.

Experience had shown that listening to his senior sister was always the right choice.

If only he had obediently followed her advice a year ago, he wouldn't be in this mess now.

Watching Zhou Wenjing take the antidote, Su Mo smiled and said:

"Alright, since you all haven't seen each other in so long, we'll stop intruding. Feel free to catch up here."

"Thank you, Chief Escort Su."

Cheng Suying promptly cupped her hands in gratitude.

"There's no need."

Su Mo smiled, took Yang Xiaoyun's hand, and they left the reception hall.

Little Situ also departed with the assistance of the four cardinal ladies—East, West, South, and North.

Moments later, only the two disciples of the Canglan Divine Blade and Zhou Wenjing remained in the reception hall.

As the three of them locked eyes, Zhou Wenjing suddenly exclaimed:

"Sister Cheng, what on earth is going on?

"Were you two locked up on the ship by them?"

[...]

[...]

Thick fog still blanketed the sea.

Su Mo told Little Situ, Wei Ziyi, and the others to carry on as usual.

This heavy fog clearly wasn't lifting anytime soon.

If they needed rest, they should go and rest.

From noon until mid-afternoon, time could drag or fly—there was no need for everyone to wait here.

He and Yang Xiaoyun stood holding hands by the ship's railing, peering into the dense fog and speaking softly.

Yang Xiaoyun listened, then murmured:

"To the left, about sixty feet away, there's a small boat.

"Two people are aboard.

"One is barely breathing, while the other's breath is rather labored and uneven."

Su Mo nodded.

"Your inner strength has improved."

"Oh, stop."

Yang Xiaoyun rolled her eyes at Su Mo, then glanced toward the reception hall.

"You let them stay to talk—aren't you worried the two disciples of the Canglan Divine Blade might complain to Miss Zhou?

"If they speak up, given their existing friendship, who knows how she'll react."

"We can't leave this hanging."

Su Mo chuckled.

"Besides, we can't really keep those two locked up for life.

"They simply picked the wrong time and place.

"But to lock them up forever is too harsh."

"Now that we have Zhou Wenjing as leverage, it depends on how they choose to act."

"If they are honest, then scores can be settled once and for all."

"If not... well, that’s a different story."

"However, these are all small potatoes..."

"The mysteries of Dragonwood Island seem to grow ever more wrapped in mystery."

"True."

Yang Xiaoyun also knit her brows:

"The Sick Prince’s knowledge is limited. Could that person truly be a martial arts master from the Dragon King Hall?"

"If he has dominated the South Sea for years, how could he not know of them?"

"Within the Dragon King Hall, even the identities of the Two Saints are still unknown, their backgrounds a mystery."

"No telling whether the one who appeared here is one of those Two Saints."

Su Mo shook his head lightly: "We must keep our guard up. If this person truly hails from the Dragon King Hall, then Xiaoxiao’s matter might finally get somewhere."

"Yeah."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded.

The pair didn’t discuss the matter further and simply stood there, watching the ship plow through the mist.

They had set sail at noon.

Soon enough, it was mid-afternoon.

According to the records in the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture, at this time, they needed to veer east.

The next stretch would have to wait until just before sunset.

For now, the ship dropped anchor for a while in the sea.

Su Mo’s ears perked up slightly as he heard the sound of splashing.

The smaller boats that had been outpaced by the ship had now drawn near.

However, some were slower, while others were faster.

They were spread far apart.

By now, the other vessels had surely noticed each other’s presence.

Yet, no one seemed eager to pick a fight.

The relationships among these people weren’t just enemies.

They had all received the same information from the same source, heading toward the same destination.

Though they knew little about the place, they all understood that whoever was behind this had pulled out all the stops—meaning there must be a bigger game at play.

The dangers up there are unpredictable.

Everyone here today is both rival and ally.

Should true peril arise, teaming up might get us through.

If there truly is some huge opportunity, it wouldn’t be too late to act when push comes to shove.

Thus, everyone is waiting patiently, keeping quiet.

Despite the thick fog, you could still make out the sun hanging in the sky.

As the sun began to set, footsteps approached from behind.

Without turning, they knew it was Zhou Wenjing, Cheng Suying, and Duan Renjie.

Zhou Wenjing wore a resolute expression, while Cheng Suying and Duan Renjie looked nervous.

Given Zhou Wenjing’s straightforwardness, the senior sister and junior brother had to come clean.

Though it was embarrassing to admit they had been captured and imprisoned right after they got to Donghuang, there was no sense lying now.

After hearing their story, Zhou Wenjing told them that Su Mo was not an unreasonable man.

The incident back then had indeed been due to Duan Renjie’s recklessness—attempting to disrupt someone’s disciple initiation ceremony was why they got locked up.

But over a year had passed, and he's probably cooled off by now.

If they apologized sincerely now, Su Mo might even let them go just like that.

The siblings, however, quickly told her about the terrifying reputation of Old Su.

Only then did Zhou Wenjing realize that these visitors from Donghuang were no nobodies.

They were none other than the First of Donghuang!

The name "Ziyang Escort Bureau" was so respected in Donghuang that nobody would dare cross them.

It was simply due to the lack of communication between the South Sea and Donghuang that they hadn’t known.

This revelation made Zhou Wenjing feel better.

Just from Su Mo's skills alone, she had begun to wonder what a tough place Donghuang was.

But knowing he was the First of Donghuang, that explained it.

She kept talking them into it and later explained the matter of the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture.

Finally, she got through to them.

Yet, at the sight of Su Mo, Cheng Suying and Duan Renjie couldn’t help shaking a little.

But it was too late to back out. Zhou Wenjing clasped her fists and bowed deeply.

"Only today have I learned of Chief Escort Su’s esteemed name. Zhou Wenjing was really rude earlier."

"My two friends have offended Chief Escort Su. Naturally, Brother Su has every right to beat or scold them as he sees fit.

"After being locked up all this time, I wonder if Brother Su has gotten it out of his system?

"If not, feel free to take your anger out on this idiot again.

"But if your anger has subsided, I hope Chief Escort Su can be merciful and release my two friends.

"Zhou Wenjing would owe you a great debt."

Hearing Zhou Wenjing's words, Cheng Suying also wanted to speak, but before she could, a loud thud sounded—Duan Renjie had already dropped to his knees with a thud:

"Chief Escort Su, this was all my fault.

"I failed to recognize your greatness, acted recklessly, and offended you.

"But my senior sister is innocent. That day, I was the only one who acted against you.

"If you still have lingering anger, direct it all at me.

"However, I beg you to show mercy and release my senior sister..."

"Junior brother..."

Cheng Suying was deeply touched. Though being captured and imprisoned by Su Mo was humiliating, over the past year, Duan Renjie's character had matured noticeably.

If they could get through this, this lesson would surely prevent him from acting as rashly as before.

Su Mo's gaze swept over the three of them one by one. Just as he was about to speak, his brows suddenly furrowed.

He turned his attention toward the depths of the mist.

The next moment, the waters beneath them surged violently, causing the entire ship to rock unsteadily.

Su Mo then looked up at the sun overhead and immediately shouted:

"Old Song!"

"Aye!"

Song Yuanlong responded promptly, raising his arm and calling out, "Steady the ship!"

The once-still mist suddenly began to churn, and mysterious gusts of wind blew in from nowhere, causing the fog to whirl ceaselessly around the ship.

Instead of clearing the mist, it only made visibility worse.

What's more, the waves became more violent than before.

With their internal energy suppressed, Duan Renjie and Cheng Suying couldn't even use their qianjin zhu technique.

A massive wave struck, rocking the ship wildly and sending them rolling helplessly across the deck.

Just as they were about to be badly bruised, Su Mo shot two finger beams—*whoosh, whoosh*—and instantly, their sealed meridians were unblocked.

The senior sister and junior brother regained their composure, scrambling to their feet. After sharing a look, they immediately clasped their fists toward Su Mo:

"Thank you, Chief Escort Su."

Su Mo, however, frowned deeply:

"Everyone, be careful. There's something off about this wind."

Indeed, it was not right—the wind was strange, and so was the water.

It was as if some massive creature lurked beneath the waves, stirring up the storm.

The tides and surges were nothing like before.

Song Yuanlong remained on high alert, gripping the helm tightly to prevent the ship from losing its course.

The crew members were also tense.

In the vast expanse of the sea, if the ship were destroyed by the storm, they would all become fish food.

For a moment, the entire ship fell completely silent.

Of course, it wasn’t completely devoid of noise.

Inside the "cabins," cries of pain and shouts rose one after another.

Especially the Sick Prince, who had it worst.

As the ship rocked, he was tossed about helplessly. Inside the "cabins," everyone had their powers restrained, so they inevitably were thrown about in the turbulence.

It was common for the Sick Prince to suddenly get sat on or have someone step on his foot.

He felt that enduring such humiliation was worse than dying.

In the largest cabin, the Laughing Taoist and Shu Jing were also being tossed around incessantly.

The White Tiger thought this was funny and decided to reach out with its huge paws, pinning each of them down.

Once they stopped moving, it released them, only to pin them again when they resumed rolling.

Eventually, tired of the game, it picked them up by their clothes, carefully holding them between its teeth as if they were treasured playthings, and stealthily crept out of the cabin.

By then, the ship had unknowingly been caught in a powerful current.

It rode the waves, speeding toward an unknown destination at breakneck speed.

At this point, even Song Yuanlong had given up control.

In such a state, the ship needed no steering—it could only go where the currents took it.

Standing at the bow, Su Mo saw numerous small boats caught in the turmoil.

Unlucky ones collided with each other, while others were run over by the larger ship.

For a time, the sea was strewn with debris.

Those with strong martial skills could barely keep their balance, while those with weaker skills mostly drowned in the sea.

This wild ride lasted a full two hours.

At first, it was intense, but as time passed and the ship held up well, suffering no major damage, everyone gradually relaxed.

After two hours, the sky had turned completely dark.

The once-frenzied ship gradually slowed.

A wind from nowhere dispersed the day’s mist, revealing a clear sky with a bright moon and sparse stars.

Looking ahead, they saw an island coming into view through the haze.

Just as Su Mo was about to examine the island more closely, a long-unheard system voice suddenly rang in his ears: "Mission: Escort Little Situ Taoist to the mysterious island? (Completed)"