Chapter 409: Origins

Chapter 409: Origins

The large ship swayed and rocked with the ebb and flow of the ocean tides. The ship creaked as it rose and fell with the waves.

Inside a modestly sized room, an octagonal table was set, with Duan Wenwu sat stiffly in his chair.

No longer daring to act like a Senior, his eyes darting warily between the others at the table.

Zhou Wenjing and Cheng Suying had already taken their seats, their expressions slightly different.

Cheng Suying had relaxed considerably, though still uneasy, she was no longer as distraught as before.

Zhou Wenjing, however, showed little change, her brows slightly furrowed as if deep in thought.

The man in plain robes had lost his earlier composure.

His eyes held a hint of dejection as he sat there in silence.

As for Chief Escort Su, he carefully placed a young woman who seemed unable to move her legs onto a nearby chair. He only sat down after making sure she was comfortable.

Still, none of this was too alarming.

What truly unsettled Duan Wenwu was the white tiger crouching at the doorway!

Its massive head was faintly visible beyond the door.

Though it no longer exuded the same terrifying aura or bloodthirsty menace as before.

Yet it still made Duan Wenwu feel like he was sitting on pins and needles...

Could this white tiger have actually become a demon?

While stealing glances, he also tried to catch a glimpse of the two notorious villains outside the door.

Shu Jing, the Lover Sword!

Xiao Daoren!

These two henchmen of the Sea Witch—even if he encountered either of them in the jianghu, the outcome would be hard to predict.

Who could have imagined they’d actually be on this ship...

Serving that tiger?

If word of this spread, the entire jianghu would be stunned.

Just what is the background of Chief Escort Su, so young yet commanding such respect?

Does the Sea Witch even know the current situation of these two subordinates?

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, the sound of footsteps reached his ears.

Soon after, the door opened, and someone entered.

In their hands was a tray carrying a teapot and teacups.

A maid?

Duan Wenwu was taken aback as he looked up, stunned.

She was stunningly beautiful.

Unlike other maids, however, this one was stoic, with an air of cold elegance.

Hmm, there was something familiar about her.

The next moment, Duan Wenwu shot to his feet.

His eyes widened in horror.

The Sea Witch, Yin Xiaoyu?

Duan Wenwu gaped, opening his mouth to shout, only to realize he was the only one in the room who had stood up.

Turning his head, he saw Su Mo and the others all looking at him.

Even Zhou Wenjing and Cheng Suying gazed at him with amused glances.

"This..."

Duan Wenwu’s heart tightened.

Then he heard Yin Xiaoyu speak softly:

"Chief Escort, the tea is here."

"Mm, leave it there."

Su Mo nodded lightly.

Given Yin Xiaoyu’s good behavior over this period, Su Mo didn’t mind her occasionally coming out to move around and pitch in.

The night's events had clearly disturbed this Sea Witch.

Especially when the Heart Demon Tune was played, it almost activated her Slayerheart Demon Sutra.

Fortunately, Su Mo’s pressure point technique was extraordinary, keeping her from losing control and going berserk.

Now, she had to come see who had played that Heart Demon Tune earlier.

So she volunteered to serve tea.

Unexpectedly, Duan Wenwu would react so strongly.

Yin Xiaoyu gave Duan Wenwu a look but remained silent. After setting down the teapot and cups, she poured tea for everyone present, then very self-consciously took up her position by the door, clearly intending to stand by for further instructions.

"Senior Duan, please sit down first."

Only then did Su Mo speak up.

Duan Wenwu flinched and immediately sat down.

The Sea Witch, Yin Xiaoyu, really was on this ship—but not at all what he'd assumed.

When he saw Shu Jing and the Laughing Daoist earlier, he had thought Su Mo was under Yin Xiaoyu's command.

Yet the truth was, it was completely the opposite.

Is Yin Xiaoyu actually Su Mo's maid?

Who exactly is this young man whose name has never been heard before?

From the looks of it, could it be that Yin Xiaoyu, the notorious pirate queen of the South Sea, and everyone on this ship from top to bottom, have all fallen to this man alone?

As these thoughts raced through his mind, he heard the man in plain robes let out a booming laugh and say:

"Chief Escort Su, you truly live up to your reputation, I am impressed, truly impressed."

Su Mo coolly regarded him but remained silent.

This only made the man in plain robes' laughter peter out uncomfortably.

Earlier on the sea, the man in plain robes had not crossed blades with Su Mo.

Having lost the initiative, every opening in his guard was exposed under Su Mo's aura, with life and death balanced on a knife's edge.

How could one fight under such circumstances?

In jianghu, one must have the discernment to assess the situation—a wise man knows when to yield.

Thus, the man in plain robes immediately surrendered without hesitation, kowtowing without protest.

Now, invited aboard the ship as a guest, he couldn't help but sit on edge.

Only after the man in plain robes stopped laughing did Su Mo hold out his palm:

"Hand it over."

"..."

The man in plain robes blinked stupidly:

"Hand what over?"

"The Vine Repellent."

"..."

The man in plain robes' face went ashen.

He instinctively glanced at Little Situ, and then the penny dropped:

"So that's why—"

He cut himself short mid-sentence.

With a sigh, he fished out a vial from his robes and placed it on the table:

"But I don’t understand—even if you went to the Scripture Cave tonight, how did you know I had the Vine Repellent?"

It wasn’t difficult for the man in plain robes to deduce that Su Mo and Little Situ had raided the Scripture Cave that night.

Under cover of darkness, both Su Mo and Little Situ were dressed in black.

Clearly, they had been prowling about on Longmu Island.

The fact that Su Mo singled him out for the Vine Repellent meant he must have marked him there.

Anything linked to Vine Repellent must naturally be Ghost Vine.

Tonight, I didn’t just come to this ship to find someone—I’d already set things up in the Scripture Cave beforehand.

Putting two and two together, Su Mo and Little Situ Taoist must’ve spotted me when they went to the Scripture Cave.

But did anything give away that I had Vine Repellent?

Why is this guy so sure?

Even as these thoughts raced through my mind, I didn’t hesitate—I just pulled out the Vine Repellent.

I did this for one reason only: to get Su Mo’s help.

Plain and simple, if he said no tonight, my plan was doomed.

Worse, I might not make it out alive.

So I played it straight.

Su Mo eyed the bottle, took it, and smirked:

"You were at the Scripture Cave tonight."

"That doesn’t mean I have Vine Repellent."

"You’ve got serious medical chops."

"...Still doesn’t mean I’ve got Vine Repellent."

The plain-robed man’s brow creased as he spoke.

If he knows I’m a medical expert... did Sick Prince spill something?

"A medical expert like you would know how to repel Ghost Vine.

"But you went with the dumbest approach.

"You brute-forced it—froze the Ghost Vine with your icy energy and punched a hole through it...

"You had the skills but held back—what message were you sending to Dragonwood Island?"

"..."

For a split second, surprise flashed in the plain-robed man’s eyes behind the jade mask.

But then he smiled. "Yeah, what *was* I trying to tell them?"

Su Mo grinned:

"Come to think of it, I never got your name."

"It’s nothing special... I’m Ye Youchen."

The plain-robed man waved dismissively, then caught the edge in Su Mo’s look and backtracked fast.

Su Mo mused:

"So, Brother Ye, where’s your allegiance?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Zhou Wenjing, only to see her frowning deeply, clearly didn’t recognize the name Ye Youchen.

Ye Youchen sighed:

"Chief Escort Su, you ask too many questions, don’t you?"

"Then, Brother Ye, you won’t answer?"

"......"

Ye Youchen fell silent but suddenly turned to Su Mo:

"Chief Escort Su, there are actually Dragon King Hall disciples on this ship. Aren’t you afraid the Dragon King Hall will find out?"

Cheng Suying raised her brows: "Stop evading—just answer whatever the Chief Escort asks."

Ye Youchen’s lip twitched.

Why is a Canglan Divine Blade disciple butting in here? Did you already forget I just saved your lives?

Ye Youchen couldn’t help but sigh at how ungrateful people are...

Meanwhile, Chief Escort Su smiled and said:

"Miss Cheng, that’s not quite right. This isn’t evasion."

Cheng Suying froze in surprise.

Just then, she heard Su Mo say calmly:

"Brother Ye is skilled in Extreme Cold Internal Strength, yet during the earlier confrontation on the ship, he held back from using it."

Since Su Mo had returned, Fu Hanyuan naturally took the chance to recount the events on the ship to him in detail.

After hearing the account, Su Mo had already figured it out.

Now, he looked at Ye Youchen:

"Brother Ye, you're not actually from Dragon King Hall, are you?"

"...What makes you say that?"

Ye Youchen's face fell.

"You were worried about exposing your Extreme Cold Internal Strength, so when fighting my people, you deliberately avoided using it.

"Even resorting to a not fully mastered sound-based technique... Hmm, Yin here told me it's not fully mastered."

Su Mo glanced at Yin Xiaoyu.

Yin Xiaoyu nodded. "Had he mastered it, he might already be dead."

"..."

Ye Youchen absolutely despised the people on this damn ship.

To say that he had been a solitary wanderer before, he was considered a renowned martial artist.

But ever since boarding this ship, why has he been pushed around constantly?

First, he was mauled by a tiger.

Then he was coerced by Su Mo into boarding.

Now, even a mere tea-serving maid dares to act so insolently in front of him.

Even if that maid is Yin Xiaoyu, a notorious figure who terrorizes the South Sea.

This still left Ye Youchen seething with resentment.

Little did he know, Yin Xiaoyu’s words were actually true.

With just this crude rendition of the Heart Demon Tune, she could already shake the foundations of the Slayerheart Demon Sutra.

If she were truly proficient, the Slayerheart Demon Sutra might break Su Mo's control, and in that bloodthirsty rampage, Ye Youchen would likely be beaten to death by Yin Xiaoyu.

Su Mo gave a soft chuckle:

"You possess the Extreme Cold Internal Strength, yet you conceal it and refuse to use it.

"But if you were holding back your skills, then in the Scripture Repository and when you killed Xie Yun and the others, you used precisely the Extreme Cold Internal Strength.

"Those of us who boarded the island may not have noticed, but you clearly couldn’t hide it from the Dragonwood Island disciples.

"Nor did you intend to.

"Miss Zhou and Miss Cheng would surely know that you possess this extreme cold martial art.

"After all… how could anyone on this ship not know of your reputation for walking on frozen water?

"Since you came here looking for the Sick Prince, you must know he has already fallen to me.

"So, the ones you’re hiding from aren’t the Dragonwood Island disciples, nor Miss Zhou or Miss Cheng, and least of all Elder Duan…"

He paused slightly before continuing with a smile:

"It’s Old Man Fu, isn’t it?"

Hearing this, Zhou Wenjing and Cheng Suying had an epiphany:

"If he were from the Dragon King Hall, seeing a martial arts master commanding the Extreme Cold arts on board, he would naturally have no reason to care, much less conceal his skills.

"Even if out of shared lineage, things might not have come to blows today."

Su Mo nodded with a smile: "Therefore, Brother Ye is clearly no martial arts master from the Dragon King Hall.

"But I wonder, from whom did Brother Ye learn these Extreme Cold techniques?

"Aren’t you worried that the Dragon King Hall might find out and come demanding its return?"

"...If I weren’t worried, why would I hide my abilities?"

Ye Youchen sighed deeply: "Chief Escort Su is truly formidable, piecing together so much from such scant clues."

"You flatter me."

Su Mo took a sip of tea and said softly:

"Brother Ye, still not ready to tell me where you're from?"

"What’s in it for me if I tell you?"

Ye Youchen smirked.

"That depends on what Brother Ye wants."

Su Mo grinned:

"Brother Ye, you’re clever. You must know why I’m here."

"For her?"

Ye Youchen’s eyes flicked toward Little Situ Taoist.

Su Mo, clad in black in the dead of night, sneaking into the Scripture Cave—he wasn’t there for fun.

He was clearly up to something.

When Su Mo asked about the Vine Repellent, Ye Youchen already had him figured out.

After all, with Little Situ Taoist tagging along, it was hard to keep things under wraps.

At this point, Ye Youchen laughed heartily:

"Alright then, I’ll level with you, Chief Escort Su."

"I’m a disciple of the Grand Physician... from Dragonwood Island!"

"Grand Physician?"

Zhou Wenjing and Cheng Suying exchanged confused glances.

Su Mo then said quietly:

"There is a Grand Physician on Dragonwood Island."

"But word is, he disappeared without a trace years ago..."

"Did he flee the island and teach you his skills?"

"No..."

Ye Youchen replied softly:

"He never left. I was the one who escaped."

Hearing this, even Duan Wenwu went still.

This mysterious man in plain robes was from Dragonwood Island!?

He was one of them!?

"Tell me more."

Su Mo poured Ye Youchen another cup.

Ye Youchen took a sip and let out a long sigh before speaking:

"Chief Escort Su, your skills are unmatched. In such a short time, you’ve already learned about my master.

"But do you know... why my master disappeared?"

"I was hoping you’d tell me."

"He discovered the Island Master’s secret."

Ye Youchen said quietly:

"I was born on Longmu Island.

"But it was my master who raised me...

"Several years ago, just before his disappearance, I still remember it vividly—it was an evening when the sky was ablaze with crimson clouds on the horizon.

"I was diligently reciting the alchemy recipes my master had just taught me.

"Because he said that if I memorized them well, he’d teach me the first three moves of the Mystic Needle Nine Styles.

"So, during that time, I was practicing hard, waiting for the day of his test.

"But who would have thought that when he returned that day, he was distracted.

"I tried speaking to him several times, but he ignored me.

"At first, I thought he was trying to weasel out of it again to avoid teaching me the Mystic Needle Nine Styles...

"After all, he’d pulled this before.

"He always dodged it... and so, I was pissed, so I gave him the cold shoulder.

"I went to the woods behind the mountain and sat there for hours, mosquitoes ate me alive until I couldn’t bear it anymore, then went home to sleep.

"But unexpectedly, I jolted awake later.

"I found my master sitting by my bed, just staring at me...

"The terror in his eyes—even now, I can’t forget it.

"I was about to cry out in alarm, but he covered my mouth.

"He said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Chen’er. I just need to tell you something.’

"Hearing his voice so calm, I calmed down, but I stayed mad and didn’t want to reconcile, so I turned my back to him.

"He didn’t mind. He just told me he had discovered something and had to check it out.

"This could be dangerous. If he didn’t return, I was to grab what’s in the hidden compartment and leave Longmu Island—and never look back!"

Ye Youchen let out a shaky breath here:

"I wanted to ask him—what was he going to verify? I’d go with him... But before I could speak, everything went black.

"When I opened my eyes again, it was already the next morning.

"What happened that night might as well have been a dream."

"My master never spoke of it again, making me wonder if it might have truly been just a dream.

"Then, three days later, my master... disappeared."

He smiled faintly, glancing at Su Mo at this point:

"Chief Escort Su, do you know what a Grand Physician is?"

"No."

Su Mo shook his head lightly.

"What we call a Grand Physician is the most skilled medical practitioner on this island.

"Though Dragonwood Island has its share of both good and bad, it remains a place fundamentally built on medicine.

"Every child, from birth, is raised soaking in medicinal baths.

"Even the elderly farmers by the roadside can recite the Tangtou Rhymes flawlessly.

"Among so many, selecting one as the Grand Physician essentially places them second only to the Island Master, above all others.

"During the morning banquet that day, you must have all seen Xie Yun.

"He calls himself the steward of Dragonwood Island... what an absolute joke.

"If Dragonwood Island wished, it could churn out hundreds of Xie Yuns at any time.

"But the Grand Physician is unique, irreplaceable.

"And my master was the most skilled Grand Physician in the past century.

"Someone like that, if truly missing, how could we not search for him?"

Ye Youchen looked at Su Mo: "But the Island Master didn't lift a finger to search; not only that, but forbade anyone from discussing the matter.

"Only then did I realize that what happened that night wasn’t a dream.

"But my master... was warning me to flee for my life."