Chapter 408: The Plain-Clothed Man

Chapter 408: The Man in White

Under the bright moon, the man in white stood alone at the bow of the ship, holding a jade flute, and cupped his hands in greeting:

"My respects to you all!"

The newcomer clearly bore no hostility, yet Cheng Suying and Zhou Wenjing's faces darkened.

Though this person had rescued them from their predicament, his motives remained unclear.

Moreover, Zhou Wenjing hadn't fully processed it earlier, but studying him now, his attire and appearance, she recalled what the Sick Prince had said that day.

She realized that the man before her was the one who had neutralized the Sick Prince's poison.

The Sick Prince was a merciless killer, his methods cruel, leaving a trail of bloodshed under the Five Transformations Demonic Art.

Yet this man showed no discretion in saving lives, even willing to aid someone like the Sick Prince.

Clearly, his allegiances were unclear.

They had originally intended to board the ship to find Fu Hanyuan and Song Yuanlong, leaving word for Su Mo.

Their plan was to deliver the message and then leave the ship to seek refuge on the island.

But now, not only had they failed to relay the message, they had also brought an unwelcome presence aboard.

Naturally, their minds were in turmoil.

Yet no matter what, they could not show hostility at this moment.

Regardless of this man's origins, the fact that he alone had emerged unscathed from the carnage proved his martial arts were extraordinary.

Even if they had to play along politely to sound him out, it was better than outright confrontation.

Zhou Wenjing promptly cupped her hands and said:

"Greetings, Young Master. May I ask for your esteemed name?"

"Miss Zhou, you honor me. My humble name is hardly worth mentioning."

The man in white smiled:

"As for the so-called 'life-saving grace,' think nothing of it."

"..."

Zhou Wenjing's mouth tightened—his words had put her on the spot.

When had she ever mentioned the phrase "life-saving grace"?

Was he hinting at something?

She shook her head slightly and began to speak but froze abruptly, whirling to face him:

"How did you know my surname is Zhou?"

They'd met only briefly, and they had never exchanged names.

Yet his words just now clearly proved he recognized her.

The man in white smiled without speaking, merely studying Zhou Wenjing's expression with quiet amusement.

Zhou Wenjing's face darkened slightly:

"What brings you here?"

"I'm looking for someone."

This time, the man in white answered, his gaze sweeping across the deck before he continued with a smile:

"If you'd all just move aside, I'll leave as soon as I find that person—no lingering."

Fu Hanyuan gave a cold laugh:

"You're being rather presumptuous, sir.

"This is the ship of the Purple Sun Escort Agency. If you've come as a guest, you'll be treated with proper courtesy.

"But if you're here to cause trouble—"

"And what will you do?"

The man in white looked up at Fu Hanyuan, his lips curling into a faint smirk.

"Then we'll have to insist you remain as our... guest."

As soon as Fu Hanyuan finished speaking, he was already upon him. With palms meeting, he struck out in an instant.

Frostflame True Qi erupted with the motion.

Before the palm wind arrived, a bone-chilling cold preceded it!

For just an instant, the man in white's eyes showed surprise. After a slight pause, he finally raised his hand, tilting the jade flute in his hand.

The flute's breeze targeted with precision the acupoints near Fu Hanyuan's palm, edge, and wrist.

The move itself wasn't especially sophisticated, yet it somehow threaded through the openings of Fu Hanyuan's Frostflame True Qi with effortless grace.

Fu Hanyuan frowned.

He was no longer the greenhorn he once was. Having roamed the jianghu with Su Mo, he had gained considerable experience.

He had been through his share of real fights. Though Su Mo had never formally taught him martial arts, the occasional tip and the influence of being around him had long elevated Fu Hanyuan's skills beyond what they were during his foolhardy charge on the Sky Saber Sect.

Back then, he had cut an impressive figure—one man against many.

But in truth, his confidence stemmed from having the Sky Saber Sect's moves memorized, exploiting their weaknesses to put on a show.

Against any other opponent, aside from relying on his Frostflame True Qi to overpower them, his actual techniques were nothing special.

To put it bluntly, if he were to face the Sky Saber Sect again now, he would likely get his ass handed to him.

After his capture that day, he had spilled everything he knew about the Sky Saber Sect's weaknesses.

Rather than fearing this exposure, the sect had used it as motivation to refine their arts, rendering many of those weaknesses obsolete.

Attempting the same tactics now would be futile.

Thus, the Fu Hanyuan of that time had possessed formidable internal energy but techniques that were nothing to write home about.

But now, after numerous trials, his understanding of techniques had evolved.

Instantly shifting his palm technique, he curled his fingers and aimed for the jade flute.

The plain-clothed man, however, was unwilling to clash head-on with Fu Hanyuan. Instead, he used deft maneuvers to keep him at bay.

In the span of mere moments, they’d already traded several blows.

Yet, strangely enough, the two had never once crossed directly up to this point.

The plain-clothed man let out a soft sigh and suddenly pushed off lightly, twisting mid-motion to bypass Fu Hanyuan, making for the cabin.

"Stop right there!"

Zhou Wenjing and Cheng Suying acted simultaneously.

One was a disciple of the Shattered Star Sect, while the other was an heir to the Canglan Divine Blade.

Cheng Suying’s blade techniques were exceptional, and Zhou Wenjing’s finger and palm skills were just as formidable.

They moved as one, intercepting the plain-clothed man from left and right.

Though mindful of his earlier debt for saving lives and thus refraining from lethal force, their resolve remained firm.

"Why must it come to this?"

The plain-clothed man smiled faintly, his jade flute twisting sharply. With a light tap, he first deflected Cheng Suying’s blade, then swept the flute horizontally, extending a finger to meet Zhou Wenjing’s fingertip.

The moment their fingers touched, Zhou Wenjing jolted as if shocked.

Just then, wide sleeves billowed outward, suddenly enveloping the plain-clothed man as if to trap him within.

"What a magnificent 'Sleeve of Heaven and Earth'!"

The one who struck was none other than Duan Wenwu. Known as "Heart Hidden in Sleeves," it wasn’t just due to his cunning nature—his renowned "Cosmic Sleeve" technique had earned renown in the jianghu.

It was said this move could literally draw a person into his sleeve, rendering them immobile—or even forcing their compliance. Though how exactly it worked was more hearsay than confirmed, witnessed by few.

Yet, throughout his years in the martial world, this technique had rarely failed him.

To his surprise, this time, his sleeve grasped empty air.

When he looked up again, the plain-clothed man had somehow materialized on the cabin’s roof.

Alighting gracefully from mid-air, he landed atop the cabin, his gaze scanning them each in turn before he sighed:

"I merely wish to find someone here. Why must you all bar my path?

"Once I find that person, I will leave immediately without a second glance."

"There’s no one you seek on our ship," Fu Hanyuan said coolly. "And even if there were, you’d have to wait until our Head Escort arrives, explain the situation, and await his verdict.

"Only if he agrees may you lay a finger on anything from this ship. Otherwise, you may come and go, but you won’t leave with even a needle or thread."

Hearing this, the plain-clothed man studied Fu Hanyuan deeply, a strange light flickering in his eyes:

"How bizarre..."

"Brother, may I ask where you're from?"

Origins?

Fu Hanyuan's instincts tingled, sensing something amiss.

Why was he asking about his background?

With a cold sneer, he replied:

"Where I'm from is none of your business."

As he spoke, he stood with his hands behind his back, radiating authority that erased his earlier rustic demeanor. Instead, his bearing now carried the unmistakable presence of a martial arts master.

Behind his jade mask, the plain-robed man's eyes wavered uncertainly.

With a soft sigh, he relented: "Fine..."

With that, he raised the jade flute to his lips, and a haunting melody pierced the air.

At first, the sound merely caused discomfort, disrupting their qi flow.

But soon, the listeners felt their blood searing like fire, their qi surging wildly within them, rebelling uncontrollably.

Panicked, they struggled to steady their breathing, attempting to suppress the chaotic energy within. Yet, under the flute's spell, they found it impossible to regain control.

The sudden shift stunned them, and the group couldn't help but look up at the plain-robed man in shock.

Unbothered, he played on, lost in the music.

When the melody rose high, their qi surged violently.

When it dipped low, their qi retreated to their dantian, seething restlessly.

As the flute's song grew louder and more piercing, climbing higher, as if to split the sky, none could remain standing to confront him.

Instead, they dropped to their knees, frantically stabilizing their qi to prevent a qi backlash.

Seeing this, the plain-robed man finally relaxed.

His "Heart Demon Melody" was newly learned, and he had only resorted to it today out of necessity.

Yet, an unforeseen complication arose aboard this ship.

Unwilling to resort to killing, he had no choice but to employ this last resort.

Now that the group was helpless, he prepared to intensify his technique, to incapacitate them all.

Then, in an instant—

ROAR!!!!

A thunderous tiger's roar exploded, rattling the skies.

Instantly, the sea trembled, waves churned violently, and the rocky cliffs against which the ship rested shuddered.

The entire ship began to rock violently.

The feeble flute notes overhead were scattered instantly by the tiger's roar.

The internal energy backlash caused the white-robed figure's face to pale, blood trickling from his lips.

The *Heart Demon Tune*, the *Heart Demon Lure*—a sinister mind-control technique using internal energy to vibrate the flute's sound, thereby manipulating the opponent's energy.

A mere thought could trigger internal strife.

The plain-robed man didn’t want to kill, merely wishing to disrupt their energy momentarily, paralyzing everyone on board so he could search for the one he sought.

Yet, at this critical moment, such a disruption happened.

He had channeled his internal energy into the flute's sound, and now that the melody was dispersed, the energy rebounded, roiling inside him, his blood and energy in disarray.

Horrified, he looked down and saw a huge hatch swing open, from which emerged an enormous white tiger.

Flanking the tiger were two figures—a man and a woman—swaggering.

The man shouted:

"Who’s the brazen bastard sneaking onto our ship in the middle of the night to play the flute?"

"Disturbing Lord Tiger’s sleep is no small offense!"

"Come out now and take your punishment!"

"Xiao Daoren?"

Duan Wenwu paled at the sight.

How could this infamous scoundrel be on this ship?

What shady company was Zhou Wenjing keeping?

And… what was beside him?

A tiger??

Was this not the king of all tigers??

Duan Wenwu’s eyes gaped in shock, finally realizing what had eyed him when he first stepped aboard.

It must have been this tiger!

But how could such a massive tiger be on this ship?

Why wasn’t it chained up?

And what was Xiao Daoren doing here?

His gaze shifted to Shu Jing beside him, and his mind reeled further.

Xiao Daoren, and Shu Jing…

Was the next to step out from the cabin the Sea Witch Yin Xiaoyu?

Was Chief Escort Su, so highly praised by Zhou Wenjing and Cheng Suying, perhaps a follower of the Sea Witch Yin Xiaoyu?

His mind raced with chaotic thoughts.

Fu Hanyuan quickly stood up and clasped his fists toward the white tiger:

"Tiger Brother, please lend a hand and take down this scoundrel!"

He pointed two fingers directly at the man in white.

The man in white's lips twisted in disbelief, and he couldn't help muttering to himself:

"Since when was the world so unjust?"

With a single light-footed leap, he swooped down from above.

Though he was willing to show mercy to people, when facing a man-eating beast, he abandoned all restraint.

A fist descended, slamming full-force into the tiger's skull.

The tiger's head swayed slightly from the blow, and the man in white's heart leapt—had it worked?

The next moment, a white shadow flashed, and the tiger standing there vanished. A deafening snarl echoed in his ears.

He turned sharply and saw a massive, tree-trunk-thick tail already upon him.

In haste, he raised his arms to block, but the moment they collided, the force of the tail hurled him like a ragdoll.

The impact was so violent that even the jade flute in his grip shattered.

Yet, there was no moment to grieve the shattered flute. Twisting midair, he found himself flung toward the cliffside. With a light tap of his feet, he kicked off the air, soaring upward, intending to reach the cliff and regroup.

But before he could land atop the cliff, a massive shadow loomed overhead.

Looking up, he saw the white tiger charging down the cliff face with terrifying speed.

Its steps were light, its speed so swift it resembled a streak of white lightning.

The sight left the man in white utterly stunned, his blood ran cold.

Though his earlier strike hadn't been at full strength—due to lingering caution—it had still carried considerable force.

Yet the tiger showed not so much as a scratch, proving it was no ordinary beast.

Now unwilling to tangle with the creature any longer, the man in white channeled his lightness skill, pushing off with qinggong and flying like an arrow toward the ship. He addressed the crowd:

"Since I am unwelcome aboard today, I shall—"

Before he could finish, he froze. Turning back, he saw the white tiger padding silently along the mast, stalking with unnatural grace, already closing in.

"This…"

The man in white's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets.

This defied all reason!

The tiger was an enormous, a behemoth of a beast—its weight alone should have snapped the mast beneath it.

Could it be that this beast had also somehow cultivated lightness techniques?! Impossible!

"This... this is downright outrageous!"

No time for pretty words, he tapped his foot and he shot forward.

The seas were rough today. Any longer and he’d risk alerting Longmu City’s watchers, which would be far from ideal.

He bolted in an instant, seeking to escape, but the white tiger, seeing his intent to flee, wasn’t about to let him go.

With a powerful pounce, it launched skyward.

Its agility was unreal—despite starting later, it arrived first, closing the gap in a blink. Its massive paw swung down with crushing force.

Those claws were no joke.

Each of its five hooked claws could slice like a blade.

Forget sharpness—the raw power alone could split rock.

Back in White Tiger City, even Su Mo had struggled to subdue it.

Now, even if he tried to block, how could he possibly take the full brunt?

A monstrous force barreled into him.

A thunderous *crack* split the night as the robed man was sent flying, soaring over a hundred feet before slamming into the water.

But now, he had no choice but to go all out. The water flash-froze beneath him.

He skidded another thirty feet across the ice before barely steadying himself.

As he stood, ice crackled outward underfoot.

From afar, the white tiger had already landed beside the ship’s railing, resting one forepaw on it, its eyes gleaming with open taunting.

"Unbelievable... this is too much!!"

The robed man was genuinely furious now.

He’d only come here to track someone down.

Not only had he struck out, but a damn tiger had humiliated him—and now it was mocking him...

This was truly the last straw.

He gave a furious nod and snarled:

"Alright, you mangy furball!

"Today, I’ll show you what I’m truly capable of!"

As his words fell, a leisurely voice suddenly sounded behind him:

"Oh? Your capabilities?

"I’d like to see them too."

The voice came out of nowhere, making his heart lurch.

Since when?

Stunned, he dared not turn around.

The moment the other party spoke, a palpable energy had already locked onto his entire body.

Every weakness in his stance was exposed.

One wrong move, and a killing blow would follow.

With no other options, he could only stand still, letting out a resigned sigh before speaking helplessly:

"And who might you be, honored guest?"

"You barge in uninvited in the dead of night, beating up my crew and my mount aboard my ship.

"Now you wanna show off your tricks to my mount?

"You really asking that now? How ridiculous."

Though the plain-robed man could not see, those aboard the ship witnessed it clearly.

Behind him stood a figure gliding effortlessly over the water, standing atop the water as if it were solid ground, without sinking in the slightest.

Even more terrifying, this person was carrying another on their back.

Such lightness skill—not only had they never seen it before, they had never even heard of such a feat.

Duan Wenwu’s heart pounded in awe, while Zhou Wenjing and Cheng Suying let out relieved sighs.

Fu Hanyuan muttered quietly:

"The Chief Escort’s here..."

The newcomer was none other than Su Mo, who had emerged from the underground cavern with Little Situ Taoist on his back.

The moment he emerged, he heard the White Tiger's roar, a warning of trouble on the ship.

He rushed to the scene immediately, only to witness the White Tiger swatting the plain-robed man away and hearing the latter's arrogant boasts—prompting him to respond without hesitation.

...

...