Chapter 398: Exegete Su Mo

Chapter 398: The Exegete Su Mo

Little Situ's words left Zhou Wenjing, Cheng Suying, and the others completely stunned.

However, Su Mo, Yang Xiaoyun, and Wei Ziyi were unfazed.

This girl was originally from the Xuanku Pavilion.

Even Du Longzi had once emerged from the Xuanku Pavilion.

A single *Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture* had stirred such waves in the South Sea.

Thus, it was only natural that this contemporary inheritor of the Xuanku Pavilion possessed astonishing abilities.

Only Zhen Xiaoxiao lay sprawled on the ground, feeling so hungry that her stomach was touching her spine.

Staring at the shiny floor, she began to imagine—what if this floor were fried in oil? Would taking a bite leave a delicious aftertaste on her lips and teeth?

Zhou Wenjing stood dumbfounded for a long while before murmuring,

"May I ask, Doctor Situ, who exactly are you?

"I once saw the *Mystic Needle Nine Styles* mentioned in an ancient text.

"Though Gai Huatuo's claims were exaggerated, this acupuncture method was indeed recorded in the *Great Xuan Treasury*.

"Yet I wonder where Doctor Situ learned it?"

Little Situ shook her head.

"Miss Zhou, please forgive me, but I cannot speak of this."

Zhou Wenjing was taken aback, but then Su Mo cut in,

"Little Situ's origins are secret, and her sect has rules forbidding speaking openly. Please do not take offense, Miss Zhou."

"Not at all, not at all! It was my rudeness to ask about forbidden matters. I beg Doctor Situ's forgiveness."

Zhou Wenjing hastily shook her head.

"But if Doctor Situ's words are true, then Dragon Tree Island must have a hidden agenda in this matter.

"Yet when the time comes, they will surely produce a medical text for these medical experts to interpret.

"But if so, what exactly is their goal?"

This question stumped everyone briefly.

Su Mo, however, gave a slight smile.

"This is precisely what we need to figure out."

"Then, Eldest Brother Su, I shall join the group of interpreters," Little Situ immediately offered.

Su Mo looked her way but shook his head slowly.

"This could be dangerous. I was thinking I should..."

"You?" she said.

Everyone present couldn't help but look at Su Mo.

Su Mo spread his hands: "What's wrong with that?"

"But... but you don't know medicine at all," said Little Situ.

Little Situ looked helpless: "About that, it simply can't be hidden."

"Why hide it?" Su Mo grinned.

"Today, when the Lord of Longmu Island distributed medical texts like the Mystic Needle Nine Styles, did you notice that he gave a copy to everyone?"

Instinctively, everyone turned to Su Mo, not understanding why he suddenly brought this up.

Yang Xiaoyun pondered slightly, then suddenly had a realization. Just as she was about to speak, Wei Ziyi said:

"They've no idea which of us knows medicine?"

"Exactly." Su Mo gave Wei Ziyi a teasing glance.

"Wei Damingzhu, you're learning from your mistakes—it truly makes this old man proud."

"......"

Wei Ziyi secretly gritted her teeth, thinking that if outsiders weren’t present, she’d have bitten his head off by now.

This remark clearly referenced Su Mo’s earlier criticism of her laziness the night before.

"It's still not a good idea," Little Situ shook her head gently.

"Even if they don’t know now, if Brother Su goes, there’s still a chance you'll be found out.

"What if they realize you don’t know medicine? Would they target you?"

"???"

Cheng Suying and Duan Renjie simultaneously looked at Little Situ, their eyes filled with confusion.

Could anyone in this world actually pose a threat to this old demon?

If that were truly the case, wouldn’t it just give Su Mo an excuse to overturn the table?

Once he starts killing indiscriminately, who could stand up to even a few blows from this old demon?

Wei Ziyi rolled her eyes at Little Situ:

"You’re overthinking this. If it came to that, wouldn’t it be even better?"

"Ah?" Little Situ was stunned, then quickly realized her mistake and looked down instinctively: "I... I... My apologies..."

"Little Sister Situ, why apologize?"

Yang Xiaoyun smiled and said, "If she weren't genuinely worried, why would she be so flustered?"

Little Situ turned beet red, flusteredly waving her hands as she struggled to find the right words.

Yang Xiaoyun, however, didn’t press the issue and instead turned to Su Mo:

"But, husband, you insist on not letting Little Situ handle this. There must be another reason, right?"

"Indeed, I can’t hide anything from you."

Su Mo sighed. "I have some reservations about this medical classic.

"The Lanternbearing Elder once said that those who set foot on this island aren’t kept here by the Lord of Longmu Island—they just don’t want to leave.

"Setting others aside, I wonder if those skilled in medicine won’t leave because of this medical classic.

"Though there are some flaws in today’s Mystic Needle Nine Styles, it might not just be because the Island Master is withholding secrets.

"Rather, the exegete may have got it wrong.

"If that’s truly the case, this medical classic must hold something fishy.

"The more skilled one is in medicine, the more likely they are to get sucked in upon reading it.

"I know nothing of medicine, so perhaps I’ll dodge that bullet."

The others nodded in agreement.

Yet, even now, plenty was still unclear.

Those skilled in medicine might refuse to leave because this medical classic has something more to it.

Those without medical knowledge, meanwhile, are gunning to be the Island Master of Longmu Island—naturally, they can’t leave either.

But between these two groups, there must be some who recognize the island’s hidden dangers.

Why don’t they leave?

Simply waiting out the heavy rain hardly cuts it as a convincing reason.

Thus, after a moment of contemplation, Su Mo said quietly:

"Right now, we’re in a perilous place and can’t afford to slip up.

"Fortunately, Longmu Island’s treatment of its guests, whether malicious or not, remains all sugarcoated in appearance.

"So, we’ll humor them while we can.

"Starting tomorrow, I’ll blend in with the exegetes to see if that medical classic holds any hidden secrets.

"As for *you*, Little Situ, and Wei Ziyi, stay within this courtyard and keep watch.

"With the four cardinal ladies—East, West, South, and North—guarding us, and your mastery of medicine and poison, Little Situ, we’ll have all bases covered."

"That should buy us some temporary safety.

"Madam, you and Xiaoxiao should slip away to the ship when you can. For the rest of our stay here, we’ll need to haul all our food and supplies from the main ship.

"We can’t risk eating anything from this island.

"Who knows if those who refuse to leave are tied up in this somehow?

"Meanwhile, we’ll need Little Situ Taoist to whip up some warding potions—just in case."

Everyone gave a small nod at that.

Zhou Wenjing couldn’t help but ask,

"Chief Escort Su, what’s our role?"

Su Mo glanced at her and smiled faintly,

"Miss Zhou, you’re not one of our Ziyang Escort, but since we’re all in this mess together, we’d better cooperate.

"How about you, Cheng, and Duan take a few casual walks around the city lord’s estate?"

"Walks...?"

Zhou Wenjing was momentarily puzzled before understanding dawned on her.

"You want us to scout for someone?"

"The Lanternbearing Elder says your master’s somewhere on the island," Su Mo said. "If you can track him down, great. However, I must also offer a word of caution..."

"Chief Escort Su, lay it out straight."

Zhou Wenjing gave a solemn salute.

Su Mo hesitated a moment before going on,

"If you spot your master, don’t rush in to greet him.

"Just watch from a distance and mark where he’s holed up.

"We’ll make contact together after nightfall."

Zhou Wenjing blinked, then nodded slowly, her voice low.

"I understand."

"Good."

Su Mo let out a quiet breath, scanning the room with a faint smile.

"Even now, Dragonwood Island’s secrets are still a mystery.

"But logically, if they’re planning to strike at those trying to leave, they’d do it before the next rain.

"The skies are clear—no rain in sight for now.

"So the next few days are our best shot."

"Everyone, proceed with caution."

"If things go south..."

"Just yell for Chief Escort Su to bail you out."

Wei Ziyi cut in smoothly.

The others were taken aback, but Su Mo just grinned:

"Sure, why not?"

"Then let's not waste time—we move out now."

Zhou Wenjing cupped her fists toward Su Mo, stood up, and was about to leave, with Cheng Suying and Duan Renjie following closely by her side.

Meanwhile, Yang Xiaoyun and Zhen Xiaoxiao got up to head for the ship.

Since Su Mo wasn’t planning to join the exegetes today, he naturally accompanied them.

Before they left, Little Situ Taoist handed out antidote pills, instructing them to keep the pills in their mouths as a precaution.

With that, they split up.

The moment Su Mo stepped out, a few island attendants came over and asked:

"Where to, honored guests?"

"First time here—we’d like to look around," Su Mo replied with a smile. "Unless it’s off-limits?"

"Not at all!"

The attendant immediately shook his head. "Feel free to roam wherever. However, this evening, Secretary Xie will visit your lodgings to record your choices.

"Just be in your rooms by then. Apologies for any hassle."

"Got it."

Su Mo nodded. "We’ll be waiting in our rooms then."

"Thank you."

The attendant gave a slight bow as they left.

With that, Su Mo led Yang Xiaoyun and Zhen Xiaoxiao away from the city lord’s manor.

Out on the streets, it was bustling.

People crowded the streets, and vendors shouted their pitches.

Su Mo and the others slipped through the crowd until they passed through the gates of Longmu City. Only then did Su Mo look back, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

With a nod, he motioned Yang Xiaoyun and Zhen Xiaoxiao toward the ship.

The trip went smoothly.

Along the way, Su Mo kept an eye out, but no one tailed them.

After successfully returning to the ship, Zhen Xiaoxiao couldn't wait to dart into the kitchen.

Su Mo called Fu Hanyuan over and asked if everything had been peaceful on the ship the previous night.

Fu Hanyuan told Su Mo that all was well, without a hitch, except that in the middle of the night, the white tiger had inexplicably unleashed a mighty roar.

However, it had settled down soon enough.

Upon hearing this, Su Mo went to check on the white tiger.

The tiger behaved as usual, approaching Su Mo and gently nuzzling his palm.

Seeing that its demeanor was no different from before, Su Mo sighed in relief and patted the tiger's large head:

"When I'm not on the ship, I’m counting on you to keep it safe."

The white tiger seemed to understand Su Mo's words, nodding its massive head, eyes gleaming fiercely.

"..."

Su Mo gave a wry chuckle, gave it another pat, and then turned to leave.

However, before disembarking, Su Mo swung by the 'guest room.'

He took the Sick Prince, who was lying on the ground, with him.

The Sick Prince was now extremely weak, letting Su Mo haul him around without a fuss.

They’d just crossed paths at sea the day before, arriving on Dragonwood Island that very night.

The lethal backlash poison from the *Five Transformations Demonic Art* still lingered in his body.

For now, Little Situ Taoist had suppressed the toxicity with the Nine Styles of the Mystic Needle, but if left untreated, the Sick Prince might just end up a "Dead Prince."

Carrying the Sick Prince, along with some food, supplies, and a stash of meds from Little Situ Taoist's quarters,

Su Mo hauled everything along before returning to Dragonwood City.

The people in Dragonwood City seemed to couldn’t care less about their comings and goings.

No one questioned them as they passed; instead, they saluted them respectfully.

This made their job a whole lot easier for Su Mo and his companions—didn’t even need the excuses they’d cooked up.

However, after returning to their room, Su Mo let out a disappointed sigh:

"That old man, was probably done for."

Other than grabbing supplies, his trip back to the ship had also been a chance to check if the Poison Lord would show up nearby.

If his absence from the morning banquet could still be explained as an attempt to stay under the radar,

then his continued absence now, despite Su Mo leaving such a clear opening,

pretty much sealed it—he’d already bitten the dust.

He immediately had Zhen Xiaoxiao fetch Little Situ Taoist.

"Brother Su, you were looking for me?"

"Take a look at this."

Su Mo handed the vial that Poison Lord had given him the previous night to Little Situ.

Little Situ thought for a moment, studied it closely, then sniffed it and checked the seal carefully before speaking:

"The vial itself is normal, but there's a living creature inside."

"I see."

Su Mo nodded. He had naturally heard movement inside. Since there was nothing peculiar about the vial, he had Little Situ place it on the table.

Everyone stood back a bit from the table before flicking the stopper open with a finger.

After a moment, a vibrant green silkworm crawled out of the opening.

Then, in a daze, it began circling the bottle.

Su Mo instinctively looked at Little Situ.

But she seemed just as confused, clearly unfamiliar with it as well.

Just as they were surprised, the feeble voice of Sick Prince spoke up:

"This is... a Thousand-mile Silkworm."

"Thousand-mile Silkworm?"

Little Situ was astonished. "This is the Thousand-mile Silkworm?"

"What is that?"

Su Mo was puzzled.

"This creature is not natural but man-made. Our Suspended Pot Pavilion has records of it.

"The Thousand-mile Silkworm is named so because it can travel a thousand miles to reunite.

"These silkworms come in male and female pairs, chosen from thousands.

"They are raised through special methods.

"Once matured, the pair never part.

"If parted, the female silkworm immediately becomes motionless, lifeless, and can lie dormant for a century.

"The male silkworm, even if separated by a thousand miles, will inevitably return to meet its mate.

"However, the breeding methods are extremely difficult.

"Many of the secret techniques have been lost...

"I never thought I'd see one here."

Little Situ was curious and held out her hand, causing the vibrant green silkworm to land in her palm.

It was unclear whether this creature wasn't smart or was born fearless.

Even when caught in her palm, it showed no sign of panic, just kept circling aimlessly on Little Situ’s palm.

Yang Xiaoyun blinked in surprise:

"By all logic, this should be the male. Why isn’t it making a beeline for the female?

"Why is it just circling here?"

Little Situ turned the silkworm over to examine it.

The silkworm was green but white-bellied, with a tiny raised bump between its second and third segments.

Seeing this, she nodded:

"This is indeed the male silkworm.

"The Poison Lord entrusted Eldest Brother Su with this Thousandmile Silkworm, figuring that if he came to harm, it could help locate him.

"The female’s gotta still be with him.

"But if so... then why’s it going in circles?"

"Did the female kick the bucket?" Wei Ziyi asked.

"Impossible."

Sick Prince scoffed: "The Thousandmile Silkworm would cross a thousand miles just to meet—proof of their deep bond. If the female died, the male would perish instantly, not lingering a moment longer... But this guy’s just... lost."

Little Situ hummed thoughtfully:

"If so, perhaps where Senior Poison Lord is located has something weird jamming the silkworms' connection.

"But what exactly... is anyone’s guess."

"Hmph, The Poison Lord’s not all that."

Sick Prince snorted again, but the others ignored him.

Su Mo nodded thoughtfully: "So, Poison Lord’s contingency plan is useless now.

"Mm, grab me a bigger jar."

Little Situ carried many medicine bottles, including empty ones.

She fished one out and passed it to him, and Su Mo placed the Thousandmile Silkworm inside.

He peered inside—the silkworm hadn’t budged, still doing laps around the bottle’s base.

It looked goofy yet charming.

Su Mo grinned: "That first bottle was cramped—the poor thing could barely wiggle.

"Now with a larger one, its rustling should be loud enough to track."

"If there are any changes, we'd notice right away."

Seeing this, the group understood that Su Mo still intended to take advantage of the Thousandmile Silkworm.

The Poison Lord's methods were extraordinary—even if trapped in danger, he wasn't necessarily doomed.

Since the male silkworm was still alive, it proved the female silkworm was still alive.

At this critical moment, if the timing was right, the male silkworm might still play its intended role.

By this day, most of what needed doing had been accomplished.

The remaining time was spent with Little Situ Taoist administering the antidote to the Sick Prince in front of everyone.

This allowed the Sick Prince to transition from a state of imminent death to one where he was, at least temporarily, out of immediate danger.

Though he observed his surroundings with serious doubts, his pride prevented him from asking questions. Instead, he quietly listened, piecing together his own conclusions.

By evening, Zhou Wenjing, Cheng Suying, and the third companion returned.

However, they had come up empty—neither Zhou Wenjing's master nor anyone who recognized her.

After some casual conversation, Xie Yun showed up with his followers to ask for their decisions.

Without hesitation, Su Mo wrote his name under the option of "Scripture Interpretation."