Chapter 423: Nightfall

Chapter 423: Night Arrives

Longmu City—the City Lord’s Mansion!

In a quiet room, the swaying curtains cast the silhouette of a massive figure.

Labored breathing sounded from behind the curtains.

Inside the hall, apart from a few attendants in green robes standing by the side, there was only an Elder Holding a Lantern, standing at attention in the center.

"Dead?"

The voice came from behind the curtains:

"Seventh Order, Thirteenth Order, Nineteenth Order, Twenty-First Order, Twenty-Eighth Order...

"Out of the Thirty-Two Laws, a total of eight have fallen?"

The Elder Holding a Lantern nodded lightly:

"All dead."

"Though Li Mosheng is skilled, he doesn’t have the ability to kill eight of our Thirty-Two Laws in succession."

The Lord of Longmu Island behind the curtains let out a heavy sigh:

"In your opinion, who is aiding him from the shadows?"

The Elder Holding a Lantern fell silent for a moment before shaking his head slightly:

"All those who have come to the island recently are listed in the records.

"Most of the previously overlooked individuals were almost entirely eliminated in this operation.

"Only Li Mosheng was not among them.

"As for the recent arrivals, the locations of Zhou Wenjing of the Shattered Star Sect and Cheng Suying, a disciple of the Canglan Divine Blade, are still unknown."

"Younger disciples are inconsequential... and lack such power."

The Lord of Longmu Island knit his brows: "Has the person from the Dragon King Hall been found?"

"No."

The Elder Holding a Lantern answered solemnly: "After stirring chaos in the Scripture Cave, this person disappeared without a trace.

"Tonight, we anticipated their appearance, but surprisingly... they held their ground."

"These are troubled times..."

After uttering these words, the Lord of Longmu Island lapsed into silence.

After a while, he spoke again: "Have you traced the origins of that group accompanying Zhou Wenjing?"

"No one knows who they are."

The Elder Holding a Lantern said quietly: "However, they have already drunk the Bone Broth. They pose no further threat."

"That's good."

Lord of Longmu Island nodded slightly, when suddenly a fierce gust swept through.

The curtain was violently torn aside by the wind, and the Lanternbearing Elder was sent flying back, tumbling several times on the ground before spitting up a mouthful of blood.

He didn’t even bother to wipe the blood from his lips, scrambling upright instead:

"This lowly one deserves death."

"You certainly do!"

Lord of Longmu Island snapped coldly:

"Your life was a gift from this sovereign.

"Do not forget what you sacrificed to earn all you possess now.

"You must value it!!"

"Yes, this subordinate understands."

The Lanternbearing Elder answered trembling with reverence.

"As the First Law, the blame falls entirely on you for failing to uncover any leads regarding the deaths of your subordinates!"

Lord of Longmu Island drew a long breath, his tone softening slightly.

The Lanternbearing Elder threw himself to his knees:

"This subordinate accepts full blame. The matter is indeed shrouded in mystery.

"I implore the Island Master to grant me time to thoroughly investigate this."

"Time..."

Lord of Longmu Island lifted a frail hand and sighed softly:

"This sovereign’s body is running out of time.

"...Listen well. Before a new Island Master is chosen and the succession is secured, you must ferret out all these vermin sowing chaos across the island from the shadows.

"The succession must proceed flawlessly, or else...

"Even if you die a thousand deaths, it won't begin to atone for your crime!

"Do you understand!?"

"This subordinate understands."

"Go now."

Lord of Longmu Island breathed out wearily. "This sovereign requires rest."

"This subordinate withdraws."

The Lanternbearing Elder made a deep bow and backed away slowly from the room, his lantern swaying.

Gingerly shutting the door behind him, he turned and left.

Only after leaving the courtyard did he finally heave a long sigh.

Frowning deeply, he lifted the lantern in his hand, pondering as he walked.

Two figures had silently appeared beside him.

"Any trace of them?" the Lanternbearing Elder asked gravely.

"None," one behind him replied. "They disappeared without a trace after leaving the Medicine Person Box."

"Did the medicine retrievers share anything else?"

"They knew next to nothing," the other added.

"Besides, they were in a hurry to fetch the medicine for the Island Master. It’s only natural they couldn’t pay attention to anything else."

The Lanternbearing Elder’s brow furrowed further.

"That’s no excuse…"

"The Poison Lord died under suspicious circumstances, and his life was bizarre."

"It must be because…"

He paused slightly but did not continue his earlier thought.

"Moreover, that Abomination met an utterly baffling end."

"That couldn’t have been the Poison Lord’s work."

"Nor was it Dragon King Hall’s martial arts…"

"It seems a truly formidable figure has arrived on this island."

A silent intruder who infiltrated the underground caverns and slayed the Abomination.

How much had this person already uncovered in the Labyrinthine Caverns?

No one could say!

Could the deaths tonight of the Seventh Order and the others also be this person’s doing?

As thoughts churned in his mind, a faint, almost imperceptible smile crossed the Lanternbearing Elder’s face.

Then, a low voice spoke up:

"Why not report this matter to the Island Master?"

The Lanternbearing Elder’s expression stiffened briefly before giving a cold laugh.

"Do you want the Island Master to find out the Underworld Flower has gone missing?"

The two behind him went silent.

In this short span of time, Dragonwood Island has suffered repeated setbacks.

Though tonight's operation yielded some results, there is no such thing as "balancing merits and faults" on Dragonwood Island.

Right now, if the Lord of Dragonwood Island were to learn that the Underworld Flower is also missing...

Might as well let First Law die outright.

With this thought, the Lanternbearing Elder turned and strode in a certain direction.

The two men behind him hurried after him, only to realize he was heading toward the Scripture Cave.

But the Scripture Cave wasn’t his real destination.

His real target was the Medicine Person Box!

Inside the Medicine Person Box, in a prison cell...

The Lanternbearing Elder sat sternly behind a table as two Dragonwood Island disciples brought in a man.

The man had graying hair and a beard; he was none other than Zhang Quan of the Shattered Star Sect!

The Lanternbearing Elder observed him silently, and Zhang Quan held his gaze defiantly.

Neither spoke a word.

After a long silence, the Lanternbearing Elder suddenly waved his hand.

"Leave us."

Though hesitant, the two Dragonwood Island disciples obeyed and left.

Then, the Lanternbearing Elder let out a deep sigh.

"Why do you keep pushing this?"

Zhang Quan scowled before sneering.

"What do you mean?"

"The feud between the Shattered Star Sect and our Dragonwood Island has gone on far too long.

"Yet, over the years, in every clash, we’ve always come out on top.

"The only reason we have spared your sect until now is because we prefer to remain secluded, unwilling to get involved in the Southern Sea’s martial conflicts.

"You’re only alive because we showed mercy.

"So why keep tempting fate?

"Why keep coming back... begging for death?"

The Lanternbearing Elder's voice was hoarse; the dim lamplight fought back the encroaching darkness, shadows writhing around them.

Zhang Quan’s face hardened.

"A true man knows what to do and what not to!"

Upon hearing this, a peculiar gleam flickered in the Lanternbearing Elder's eyes.

As if torn between laughter and nostalgia.

After a long pause, he sighed softly:

"Well put...

"But now, do you truly believe there’s still a chance for you to turn the tables in this struggle?"

"...How is this any of your concern?"

"No connection to me?"

As the Lanternbearing Elder spoke, he suddenly leaned closer to Zhang Quan, reaching out to grasp the flap of cloth dangling from his hat and casually pushing it aside:

"Zhang Quan, do you really think this has nothing to do with me?"

Zhang Quan’s eyes snapped wide.

His face was filled with disbelief:

"This can’t be!"

……

……

Su Mo, at this moment, knew nothing of what transpired within the Medicine-Cultivation Crate.

The Law Marshals were a unique existence.

According to the Seventh Order, these individuals had been steeped in medicinal brine since childhood.

Unlike ordinary islanders, their torment defied imagination.

As a result, common toxins barely touched them.

The Poison Lord’s methods were extraordinary—on Chiyan Island, a mere gesture had crushed Qi Yang.

Yet on this island, despite several attempts, his efforts fell short every time, precisely for this reason.

Moreover, their unique constitution made them lightning rods for pursuit.

Their reek clung like a curse.

Thus, after brief consideration, Su Mo decided to put them down quickly.

Dumping the four bodies, Su Mo returned to the Qilong Hall.

There, he found Yang Xiaoyun and Wei Ziyi again to take in the show.

The two were spellbound by the action.

Not only were they captivated, but they also huddled in whispered debate—

Did you see that punch? And those palm strikes—brutal, right? How were the weird weapons in play? Were there sneaky energy tricks?

After listening for a while, Su Mo grinned and cut in:

"Mind if I ask you two ladies, how’s the match going?"

The question almost made Yang Xiaoyun and Wei Ziyi fall off the eaves of Qilong Hall.

Su Mo quickly reached out to catch them both.

However, this supposed "rescue" earned him no gratitude, only furious glares.

"You could've just come back quietly instead of scaring us like that..." Yang Xiaoyun fired the first shot.

"Exactly! Old Su’s being a real jerk. If I fell and landed on the arena, then accidentally fought my way through the crowd and became the next Island Master, then what?" Wei Ziyi swiftly followed up.

"..."

Su Mo rolled his eyes and glanced at the sky.

"It is indeed getting late, but daydreaming before bedtime is a bit..."

Before he could finish, Wei Ziyi suddenly went pale.

Her breath came out frosty.

After exchanging a glance with Yang Xiaoyun, Su Mo didn’t hesitate. They each took one of Wei Ziyi's arms and hurried her away.

Wei Ziyi grumbled slightly, glancing back wistfully.

"I haven't seen enough yet."

But the two clearly weren’t listening.

They swiftly brought her to the courtyard and straight into Wei Ziyi's room.

Yang Xiaoyun helped her out of her robes while Su Mo was already sitting on the bed.

Wei Ziyi grumbled in frustration.

"At least I still have undergarments covering me now, but if this keeps up... he’ll get a full show eventually."

Yang Xiaoyun gave her a knowing look.

Wei Ziyi's face turned beet red.

"Her yang’s acting up. Husband, step on it."

Yang Xiaoyun dumped Wei Ziyi onto the bed and promptly went to wait outside.

Though the entire process was old hat by now for those involved, Su Mo still found it... kinda weird.

But strange or not, it had to be done.

He immediately focused his pure yang internal energy to help Wei Ziyi balance her yin and yang within her.

This was nothing new—just the same old routine.

While circulating his energy, Su Mo suddenly had an idea.

Wei Ziyi's injury was primarily due to the imbalance of Yin and Yang energies within her body.

What if he cultivated the Nine Yin Mysterious Ice Manual, absorbing both Yin and Yang energies into his own body, then used them to counterbalance hers? Would that yield better results?

This sudden thought quickly consumed his thoughts.

But this clearly wasn’t the right moment to experiment.

He decided that after this round of energy suppression, he would ask Little Situ Taoist if his theory held water.

If it did, then whether it involved cultivating the Nine Yin Mysterious Ice Manual or seeking out Fu Hanyuan to obtain the Frostflame True Qi, he’d find a way.

At the same time, as time passed, Su Mo had come to realize something else.

The Yin and Yang energies within Wei Ziyi’s body were getting harder to manage.

In the past, he didn’t need to remove her outer robe to transfer his energy.

But now, that was no longer possible. With the outer clothing blocking the flow, even if the fabric was breathable, it still hindered the process. Any energy that couldn’t disperse would rebound into her body, fueling the clash between Yin and Yang.

This led to a relentless internal battle.

Another thing—in the past, after each energy transfer, Wei Ziyi would be bursting with energy.

But now… after the transfer, she would often be drained and limp, passing out cold nine times out of ten.

Only after a full night’s rest would she regain her energy.

At this moment, as Su Mo retracted his qi back into his dantian, Wei Ziyi slumped against him.

Her face was still flushed, but her hands and feet were cold.

She fought to pry her eyes open, managing only a sliver before shooting him a look:

"Old Su…" She exhaled.

"...You're still conscious?"

Su Mo was surprised. "You’re hanging in there this time."

"Shut it…"

Wei Ziyi reached for the blanket, fighting to tug it over herself.

But she was too weak to manage it and could only shoot him a withering look:

"Aren’t you going to help me cover up…? You done staring?"

Su Mo was momentarily speechless, glancing at the girl.

He’d never noticed before, but now that he looked closely, she was something else entirely.

He recalled their first meeting at Jade Willow Villa, when she had disguised herself as Luo Zhen. Back then, she had dressed as a man—the sheer effort and pain she must have endured to conceal what lay beneath those robes.

Such was the lot of a martial artist.

With a sigh, Su Mo tucked the blanket around Wei Ziyi.

He said offhandedly,

"Nothing worth looking at anyway..."

"Your mouth says one thing but your heart thinks another."

Wei Ziyi gave Su Mo a sidelong glare, then rolled over onto his lap, only to complain it was too bony. She finally said,

"Help me... just help me..."

Su Mo slid his hand under the covers.

Wei Ziyi shivered, her cheeks coloring as she stole a glance at Su Mo, who was studiously looking at the ceiling while feeling around beneath the blankets.

Wei Ziyi clamped her teeth on her lower lip, only letting out a soft sigh once Su Mo got her properly settled.

"Alright, thanks for the hard work, you old devil...

"This young mistress needs her rest now... you're dismissed."

Su Mo rapped her lightly on the forehead.

"You're getting mouthier by the day."

"Ouch..."

Wei Ziyi rubbed her head, pouting as she glared at Su Mo.

Su Mo was momentarily speechless before sighing. "Rest well. Our business on Dragonwood Island will soon be over.

"Then, I'll take you to get you treated."

"Mmm..."

Wei Ziyi gave a small hum, her eyes already closed as her breathing evened out as she fell asleep.

Su Mo stood up, straightened her blankets one last time, and stepped outside.

"How is she?"

Yang Xiaoyun asked anxiously.

"She's fine now."

Su Mo glanced back at the room, a slight frown creasing his brow.

"But we can't delay Tigress's condition any longer... We must settle our affairs on Dragonwood Island within the next few days."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded softly, pulling Su Mo back into their room.

Then she asked,

"How did it go tonight...?"

"Plenty to show for it."

At this, Su Mo couldn't help but smile slightly.

He laid out everything that happened tonight.

It was only then that Yang Xiaoyun learned that the Shattered Star Sect actually had such a connection with Dragonwood Island.

But for a moment, she frowned deeply.

"What’s the matter, my lady?"

Su Mo shot Yang Xiaoyun a grin.

Yang Xiaoyun shot him a glare and sighed.

"My husband has always been quick-witted—you must realize that the Shattered Star Sect has their own agenda, no?"

"Claiming they can't bear to see the martial world of the Southern Sea stained with blood… That’s hard to swallow."

"All they want is the Celestial Stele."

Su Mo chuckled. "And truthfully, that’s what we want as well."

"Honestly, I’m not worried about the Shattered Star Sect."

"The most crucial thing is that Little Situ Taoist’s legs can be saved."

Hearing this, Yang Xiaoyun nodded in agreement.

"You’re right about that!"

"Although that Seventh Order admitted his words were mere speculation, if the Heaven-Mending Art truly has such power, then the damage to Little Situ Taoist’s Three Yin and Three Yang meridians…"

"…might very well be cured here on Dragonwood Island. But there’s something else—"

Before she could finish, Su Mo suddenly raised a hand.

Yang Xiaoyun immediately fell silent.

A moment later, a sharp *whiz* cut through the air.

Something crashed through the window, only to be caught firmly in Su Mo’s palm.

It was a stone, wrapped in a piece of paper.

Unfolding it, he found only three large characters written on it: *Come with me!*

"Stay here, my lady. I’ll return shortly."

After reading the note, Yang Xiaoyun nodded lightly.

"Be careful."

"You should stay alert as well. If this is a diversion, call Xiaoxiao and let her wreck the place."

With those final instructions, Su Mo’s figure blurred—and in an instant, he was already atop the roof.

His eyes swept the area, and he spotted a figure streaking into the distance. Without hesitation, he gave chase.

In no time at all, Su Mo followed the figure into a dense forest.

Stepping into its depths, he glanced back, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

"Since you asked me to come, surely you won't refuse to see me?"

"My apologies for the abrupt disturbance."

A voice came from the woods, accompanied by footsteps, and a figure appeared before Su Mo.

Su Mo looked at the person, his eyes showing surprise:

"It's you?"