Chapter 437: Awakening

Chapter 437: Awakening

The clouds parted, clearing the sky of its gloom.

The Ziyang Escort’s large ship sailed southward, heading toward Tianqi Island.

It had been three days since the events on Gupiao Island.

That day, Su Mo had sent off the Poison Lord for the second time.

But the body wasn’t left behind on Gupiao Island.

Since it’d only take a few days, they decided to carry it on the ship, bringing both the Fansheng Pill and the Poison Lord’s remains back to his wife.

With Little Situ Taoist on board, the corpse would not decay.

Doubt the Poison Lord would’ve wanted to be buried in a foreign place like Gupiao Island, huh?

After wrapping up the Poison Lord’s affairs that day and securing the Fansheng Pill, Su Mo went ashore to reunite with the other martial artists.

The massacre on Gupiao Island sparked outrage.

Su Mo could only share what he knew, laying out the events as they happened.

However, he left out the Poison Lord’s talk of the "Final End" drug.

Instead, he stuck to the obvious and brought up the BloodWeeping Sword to those present.

Many of these martial artists, seasoned and well-traveled, had indeed heard of the BloodWeeping Sword.

After Su Mo finished speaking, a few others jumped in with their own takes.

This also gave Su Mo some new intel about the BloodWeeping Sword.

However, most matched what Ceng Chou had said.

This situation made Su Mo realize that even if he tried to conceal the matter, word of Gupiao Island would spread across the Southern Sea as the island’s survivors dispersed.

So he zeroed in on this alone and worked with the group to hash out a plan.

In the end, they landed on two main moves.

First was a no-brainer—to get the word out about what went down on Gupiao Island through the gathered crowd.

This’d make sure more folks in the Southern Sea’s martial circles heard of the BloodWeeping Sword’s resurgence.

By pooling their efforts, the Southern Sea’s discerning martial artists could seek justice for the victims of Gupiao Island.

The second move involved the Shattered Star Sect.

After all, Gupiao Island fell under the jurisdiction of the Shattered Star Sect.

With a mess this big, the sect could not be sidelined.

Shattered Star Sect disciples were there too, like Zhou Wenjing and her dim-witted senior brother, as well as some who had accompanied Li Mosheng and Zhang Quan on Longmu Island.

Ideally, they could have reported the matter directly to their sect.

However, due to limited ships, if this group monopolized one large ship, the others would be left short on ships.

Luckily, the Shattered Star Sect wasn’t too far from Lonely Gourd Island, so folks like Xia Qiuliang also went back to the sect with Zhou Wenjing and later borrowed the sect's ships to leave.

For now, this was all they could do.

As for Su Mo and his group, they didn’t exactly have time to rally a bunch of martial arts masters to chase and intercept the BloodWeeping Sword Slave.

Not to mention, there were hidden undercurrents at play.

So the smartest move was still to leave it to the South Sea folks to sort out.

Of course, this matter did not end here.

But some things just wouldn’t land right if Su Mo said them.

Especially once ‘BloodWeeping Sword’ came up—Su Mo could tell plenty in the crowd were already scheming.

Human nature was hard to rein in, so he figured he’d let it slide for now.

And just like that, things on Lonely Gourd Island settled down—for the moment.

Once they’d all pitched in to bury the island’s dead, they stayed overnight and went their separate ways the next day.

Of course, there were also some side matters.

Take the martial artists there—they all made sure to thank Su Mo.

Some swore things like, "If you ever need anything in the future, Hero Su, just give the word—we’d brave death without hesitation."

Others handed over keepsakes.

These weren’t just limited to tokens—there were all kinds of keepsakes.

Tiny swords, hairpins, rings—you name it.

They even left directions to their sects, saying that if Su Mo ever had a request in the future, he could simply send someone with the token and a message, and no matter how difficult the task, they would surely come to his aid.

This went on till almost midnight before things finally quieted down.

Next up was figuring out what to do with Xiao Ning and his sister.

The siblings had tagged along with Su Mo to Dragonwood Island, only to come back to no home!

Dumping two kids alone on Lonely Gourd Island? No way they’d make it.

In the end, Zhou Wenjing finally took pity and offered to bring them to her sect, to see if they could be accepted as disciples.

Su Mo checked with the siblings.

Xiao Ning jumped at the chance, too grateful to say no.

Su Mo, never one to stand in the way of a good thing, gave his okay.

Honestly, if Xiao Ning had refused, Su Mo might’ve taken him on as a disciple himself.

But the kid had made up his mind—no point pushing it.

That’s just how things went sometimes.

One stray thought, and everything changes.

The workings of fate unfold in this very moment.

Currently, Su Mo sits on a chair on the deck, a large umbrella shading him from above, holding a fishing rod, though he's not paying any attention to fishing.

Instead, it’s fixed on the white tiger.

The white tiger, however, is out at sea.

Its paws churn, walking on the waves. With every step it takes, the seawater freezes into thin ice, allowing it to leap and dart across the surface with unparalleled speed, its face alight with joy.

Its jaws hang open, its barbed tongue lolling out, showing its delight.

"...At this rate, it’s really going to turn into a monster," Wei Ziyi, standing nearby, muttered, shaking her head as she watched the scene unfold.

Su Mo was similarly speechless.

This all started back on Dragonwood Island.

At that time, Yang Xiaoyun had already noticed the thin ice forming beneath the white tiger’s paws.

After returning to the large ship and heading back to Solitary Gourd Island, the tiger hadn’t had another chance to disembark.

It wasn’t until their departure this morning that Su Mo realized the white tiger’s body now contained an additional surge of frigid internal energy within its sacred vessel—which it could control.

Su Mo recalled Ye Youchen.

He casually remarked, "So in the future, the white tiger could walk on water like it was solid ground?"

When the tiger heard this, the idea stuck with it.

It seemed to remember their previous battle with Ye Youchen, when it had flung him into the sea—only for the man to stand on the water’s surface like solid ground, never sinking an inch.

First, the tiger tried it out on the deck, conquering its fear of water before leaping boldly into the sea.

By channeling that frigid internal energy, it indeed froze the water beneath its paws, keeping itself afloat.

But the vast ocean still intimidated it.

At first, it dared not move an inch, frozen in place.

Only when the ship began sailing farther away did it finally give chase.

After a few steps, it realized it truly could walk upon the sea as if it were flat ground.

From then on, there was no stopping it. It raced across the waves, refusing to return to the ship.

This mighty tiger ran with the abandon of a wild dog, tongue lolling—an utterly bizarre sight.

Xiao Daoren and Shu Jing stood there, completely dumbfounded at the ship’s railing, suddenly feeling completely useless.

At this rate, they wouldn’t even rate as the white tiger's entourage.

Just then, Wei Ziyi pointed sharply—

"Is there something behind the White Tiger?"

Su Mo looked up and saw a dorsal fin emerging from the sea:

"A shark or a dolphin?"

He didn’t know much about this, and despite spending so much time in the South Sea, he had never encountered sharks roaming freely.

Now that he spotted one, curiosity got the better of him.

Just then, the creature beneath the water suddenly surged upward.

Its dorsal fin was way bigger than he’d expected.

It burst from the water, revealing a massive, fang-filled maw beneath its jagged, vicious head.

This was no ordinary shark—it was a monster.

Mid-leap, its jaws snapped open, ready to sink its teeth into the White Tiger.

The White Tiger had been bounding along happily when it suddenly sensed the ominous gust of wind. It whipped its head around, eyes bulging in surprise.

One ruled the mountains, the other dominated the seas.

Normally, their worlds would never collide, yet here they were, locked in a bizarre showdown—like a tiger fighting a shark.

But as the shark attacked with murderous fury, the White Tiger just swatted it with one powerful paw.

And those claws packed a serious punch.

The shark, used to being top predator, had sorely misjudged its foe. The paw hit, and the shark went flying.

Flailing wildly in midair, but before it could plunge back into the water, the White Tiger was already waiting below.

As the shark fell, another powerful slap sent it reeling.

Two brutal slaps later, the shark was a broken mess, barely alive.

Then, the White Tiger spun and lashed out with its tail, sending the shark spinning straight toward the large ship.

Su Mo moved to intercept it when Zhen Xiaoxiao happened to emerge from the cabin, intending to bask in the sun as well.

Before she could even brace herself, a hunk of fresh meat came hurtling her way. Instinct kicked in—she snatched the shark by the head.

Even after two slaps and a tail whip, the shark wasn’t done—it lunged for Zhen Xiaoxiao’s arm.

She scoffed. "You’re food—stop squirming!"

She pinned it to the deck with one hand. Before it could react, she slammed her bronze club down—hard.

Poor bastard.

Once the ocean’s apex predator, today it picked the wrong fight. First attempting to eat the White Tiger, only to be beaten senseless, and then finished off by Zhen Xiaoxiao.

It died in shock, eyes still wide.

Zhen Xiaoxiao couldn't help but feel quite pleased with herself:

"This is my lunch for today! The Boss says fish won’t make you gain weight!"

Su Mo grumbled, "...When did I ever say that?" He turned to Wei Ziyi.

Wei Ziyi rolled her eyes at him and ignored him completely.

Meanwhile, the white tiger had also returned to the deck, approaching the shark and pawing at it with a frustrated swipe a couple of times before giving Zhen Xiaoxiao a dirty look.

It had went easy on it earlier because it found the shark fun to mess with.

Otherwise, with its strength, killing the shark would’ve been a cinch.

Why even haul it back onboard?

The tiger had intended to play with it a little longer, but as soon as it reached the deck, Zhen Xiaoxiao had whacked it dead.

Naturally, it was quite pissed off about this.

Zhen Xiaoxiao, however, assumed the tiger was trying to steal the shark from her. Instinctively, she hugged the shark and took a step back:

"Look..."

She trailed off, as if reconsidering, then sighed:

"Alright, let’s go halves?

"I know you caught it, but I was the one who put it down.

"This shark’s big enough—half for each of us should do us both."

The white tiger paused for a moment before nodding its big ol’ head, cutting a deal with Zhen Xiaoxiao.

Since playing was no longer an option, at least they could still eat.

The girl and tiger, in cahoots, dragged the shark toward the kitchen.

Shu Jing and Xiao Daoren rushed to lend a hand, hurrying after them.

"Where are they going?"

Little Situ Taoist’s voice came from the other side of the deck.

Wei Ziyi didn’t even turn around:

"Getting lunch ready..."

Only after speaking did she glance back at Little Situ Taoist.

She saw her carefully picking her way across the deck, leaning on Yang Xiaoyun and the four cardinal ladies—East, West, South, and North.

Her steps were still shaky, tottering as she moved.

But she was already moving under her own power.

Wei Ziyi gasped and quickly darted over.

"Slow down, slow down. These legs of yours have never taken a step in your life."

"Although the Xuanhu Pavilion's techniques are remarkable, keeping your legs in good condition,"

"walking still needs to be taken one step at a time. Don’t push yourself too hard."

"I get it."

Little Situ nodded right away, smiling as she said:

"It's just... I just can’t resist trying..."

"And... exactly because I haven’t walked in so long, I should walk more to adapt as soon as possible."

"Just take it easy."

Wei Ziyi couldn't help but laugh at Little Situ's current appearance:

"Watching you like this always makes me anxious."

"Sorry for worrying you, Sister Wei."

As Little Situ spoke, she couldn't help but glance at Su Mo, who had already stood up.

Despite her efforts to conceal it, the warmth in her gaze was impossible to miss.

All she could do was give a small nod.

Suddenly, she felt a soft squeeze of her hand—Yang Xiaoyun had lightly pressed her hand. Instinctively, she looked at Yang Xiaoyun.

She saw nothing but gentle warmth in her eyes.

There seemed to be... maybe even a little encouragement?

This only made Little Situ feel more flustered. She lightly bit her lip, making Yang Xiaoyun stifle a laugh before looking up at Su Mo and saying:

"Quit fishing. Those two have woken up."

Those two could only be Shi Cheng and Ye Youchen.

"They've been unconscious for so long, I thought they were done for."

Hearing this, Su Mo smiled and rolled his shoulders:

"Let's go see them."

......

In the room, Shi Cheng lay flat on his back, gazing at the ceiling, realizing that apart from his eyeballs, he was completely paralyzed.

His qi was completely locked down, and his meridians were a mess from sealed pressure points.

Being immobilized wasn’t the worst thing, though. At least he wasn’t on Dragonwood Island anymore. Judging by the circumstances before he lost consciousness, he had likely been rescued.

Until just now, whoever saved him had been right there.

But by the time he opened his eyes, the person was already gone.

His head was immobilized, so he couldn’t see who had rescued him.

For now, he had no choice but to wait in silence.

But there was something else nagging at him—it seemed like there was someone else lying beside him.

Their breathing was shallow and uneven, like they were clinging to life.

Was it Ye Youchen?

Lost in his thoughts, he was startled by approaching footsteps.

The footsteps were unmistakable, yet Shi Cheng reflexively shut his eyes.

The door creaked open, and uneven footsteps filed in—more than one set.

The next moment, Shi Cheng heard a familiar laugh:

"If you’re awake, why squeeze your eyes shut?"

"Brother Su?"

Shi Cheng’s eyes flew open, but his voice failed him.

Only after Su Mo snapped his fingers could Shi Cheng muster a hoarse laugh:

"Brother Su… what the hell is happening?

"How’d I get here?"

He only then noticed his voice was back. He cleared his throat and quickly asked,

"Who’s this beside me?"

"It’s me…"

A frail voice rasped:

"You fool."

Su Mo hadn’t sealed Ye Youchen’s pressure points.

But his life dangled by a thread—fragile as a candle flame in a draft—it could vanish at any moment.

Now, lying here, he couldn’t lift a finger.

"...You’re the fool."

Shi Cheng bristled.

Su Mo eyed them and burst out laughing:

"From the way you bicker, you’re clearly thick as thieves.

"Care to explain what’s between you two?"

"We go way back…"

Ye Youchen gently let out a sigh: "His father was indebted to me and promised that if he ever had a child, I could be the child's godfather.

"This matter... I've longed for this for years.

"In the end, though he did have a child, who would've thought it'd turn out to be such an unfilial, disobedient child?

"All these years, he's never once called me 'Dad.'

"Now that I'm dying, staring death in the face—foolish boy, could you call me 'Dad' just once?"

"Call you what now?" Shi Cheng asked calmly in return.

"..."

How could Ye Youchen fall for such an obvious trap?

He couldn’t help but sigh. "Seems like I’ll just have to die with regrets, then."

"Just hurry up and die already," Shi Cheng snapped, his anger flaring. "You don't even deserve the effort I put into saving you!"

Su Mo, meanwhile, mused thoughtfully,

"So, that means Brother Shi’s father must be someone remarkable.

"What was his name?"

At these words, both Shi Cheng and Ye Youchen went quiet immediately.

They started thinking hard.

Su Mo was patient, and Yang Xiaoyun even brought over a chair for him to sit. The group waited quietly.

After what felt like forever, Shi Cheng finally sighed.

"Fine, fine, I’ll drop the act.

"Truth be told, I’m no ordinary person either. My father is Shi Shengtian!!"

Having spoken, he waited calmly for Su Mo and the others’ reaction.

Yet after waiting for what felt like ages, he realized they showed not reacting at all.

Shi Cheng stared blankly: "You... don’t know him?"

"Should I go find someone who knows?"

Su Mo ventured tentatively.