Chapter 449: Mandarin Duck Gloves

Chapter 449: Mandarin Duck Gloves

The moment Fire Taoist saw that the newcomer was Su Mo, he spun on his heel and bolted without hesitation.

Yet in the next instant, a blade of water erupted from beneath his feet, arcing toward him in a deadly slash.

Fire Taoist swiftly dodged to the side, but a deep gash still tore through his arm, blood instantly welling forth.

His expression darkened as he whirled on Su Mo:

"You—"

Su Mo smiled faintly. "Did I ever say you were free to leave, Taoist?"

"..."

Fire Taoist's brows furrowed tightly, his face turned to ice.

Staring at the puddles that had somehow spread across the entire ruined temple, dread coiled in his gut.

What kind of martial arts was this?

His Mystic Extreme Blazing Palm relied on internal energy as its foundation.

Yet Su Mo's water sword technique seemed to allow him to command flowing water with his own internal energy.

This... this defies all martial principles!

If he tried to break through with all his strength, could he escape the water swords' blockade?

The realization curdled his blood.

Su Mo had clearly held back with that earlier strike—otherwise, it wouldn’t have just been his arm that was wounded.

With a sigh, he yielded ground, jaw clenched, and fell silent.

Meanwhile, the seven men from Seven Slayers Hall exchanged glances before bursting apart like scattering rats, fleeing in all directions.

Their combined Seven Slayers Blade Radiance, executed through the Heaven and Earth Seven Slayers Formation, had been shattered like glass by a single sweep of Su Mo's water sword.

Seven Slayers Hall spared none—when they held the upper hand.

Now, attempting to tie loose ends was clearly impossible.

In fact, they might end up being the ones silenced.

In such a situation, staying and fighting would only lead to certain death.

But if they wanted to leave, Su Mo had no intention of letting them.

"Guests shouldn't leave before tea is served."

Shing! Shing! Shing!

Water transformed into swords; the air itself turned murderous in an instant.

The Heavenly Water Ten Directions Sword was originally a peerless technique that required immersing all ten fingers into water before lifting them to unleash its power.

However, Su Mo integrated it into the Formless Heavenly Sword, shaking off the ten-finger shackles.

His thoughts guided the sword effortlessly.

The combined sword techniques were unfathomable.

The members of the Seven Slayers Hall were no pushovers, yet even they were outmatched by such ingenuity.

Their blade energy transformed into defensive barriers, but with three crisp *thwacks*, the water swords pierced through their defenses, piercing their brows and felling them on the spot.

The remaining four barely parried the water swords, but the immense internal energy infused within hurled them backward.

They’d been scattering in panic, but now the four flying backward collided midair, each letting out a choked grunt.

Before they could recover, a gust of wind filled the air, and in the next moment, they froze—locked in place.

Su Mo glanced at the spreading fire in the temple, then at the Fire Taoist, who stood meditating, eyes downcast. He chuckled:

"Since you’ve got nothing better to do, Senior, why not help me haul them out?"

The Fire Taoist glared at him:

"You paying?"

"With your life."

"..."

With a scowl, the Fire Taoist grabbed the surviving Seven Slayers Hall martial arts masters by their collars, two in each hand, and dragged them out of the ruined temple.

Su Mo followed behind, toting the burlap sack.

Once outside, the Fire Taoist spoke again:

"Am I free to go now?"

"Why the hurry?" Su Mo smiled. "Think again—I’ve spared you more than once."

"???"

The Fire Taoist gaped. "Since when do I owe you my life?"

"The first time was in the Qi family’s Leisure Cloud Pavilion," Su Mo said. "You attacked Shangguan Jingjing, and I stopped you. Out of deference to your status as a Senior in the martial world, I showed mercy and spared your life.

"Call that a favor, no?"

"...That’s your logic?"

The Fire Taoist felt that after years of wandering the martial world, today took the cake.

You try to kill me, hold back, and because you didn’t take my life, it’s considered saving me?

What kind of warped reasoning is this?

For a moment, his hair billowed like angry flames, yet he could do nothing against this Martial Arts Master before him, standing there grinding his teeth:

"The second time was outside the inn, when you kidnapped Xi Menhuai. I was there and could've killed you right then and there, but I didn’t.

"Doesn’t that count as well? Fine, even if you refuse to call it a life-saving grace, at least I showed mercy by sparing you, right?"

"So I should thank you?"

The Fire Taoist stamped his foot furiously.

Su Mo waved his hand dismissively. "We're both warriors of the jianghu, no need to stand on ceremony."

"..."

The Fire Taoist felt his blood boiling inside, wishing he could knock himself out just to ease the frustration.

Su Mo then pointed at the ruined temple:

"Earlier, when those Seven Slayers Hall Martial Arts Masters unleashed their blade aura, you couldn’t withstand it.

"If I hadn’t intervened, you'd be a dead man. Doesn’t that count as one?"

"...Fine...it counts."

Even if the Fire Taoist was reluctant to admit it, this time was undeniably real.

The other two instances were complete bullshit.

Besides, if you hadn’t stolen Xi Menhuai, would they have even attacked me?

You're conveniently forgetting the part where you ruined everything.

"Glad you admit it."

Su Mo smiled. "Again and again, I’ve either spared your life or saved it. Now, all I ask is for you to just help me move some people, and we're square?

"That's not how things work, anywhere in this world, is it?

"Don't you agree, Taoist?"

The Fire Taoist sighed.

"What now?"

"Just a few questions."

"...Then ask already!"

The Fire Taoist’s face darkened. If you wanted information, why not just say so? Why mess with me like this?

Don’t you know I’m seriously wounded?

At this rate, I’ll die of anger before these wounds kill me.

"How did these people reach out to you about purchasing Xi Menhuai?"

Su Mo wasted no time and cut right to the chase.

The Fire Taoist frowned slightly.

The Seven Slayers Hall affair was also beyond the Fire Taoist's expectations.

Seeing Su Mo's question, he didn't hide anything and laid out the whole story.

A longtime wanderer of the martial world, the Fire Taoist was highly skilled in martial arts and had his own ways of making money.

He'd take jobs through special markers.

He was a hired hand and had always maintained a decent reputation.

The people from the Seven Slayers Hall contacted him through this method.

They tasked him with bringing Ximen Huai from the Ximen Family and Shangguan Jingjing from the Shangguan Family.

The offered price was substantial—a cool thousand taels of gold.

Half of it was paid upfront.

The job came out of nowhere, and both Ximen Huai and Shangguan Jingjing came from powerful families. Though the Fire Taoist wasn't necessarily afraid of Shangguan Hongtu or Ximen Zhengyan, he knew picking fights with both clans would be stupid.

He considered declining, but they told him flat out there was no need to worry about offending the two great families of Twin Heroes Island.

Because both families were already searching everywhere for Shangguan Jingjing and Ximen Huai.

After asking around, the Fire Taoist learned that Ximen Huai and Shangguan Jingjing had actually run off together.

The two families had been locked in feud for generations, fighting for who knew how many years.

Who would have imagined such a thing could happen?

At such a critical moment, someone suddenly issued this task, which naturally got the Fire Taoist wondering.

He didn't agree immediately but did some digging.

He discovered that the client was from some no-name outfit near Twin Heroes Island called the Evening Cool Pavilion.

The Evening Cool Pavilion had been begging for protection from Twin Heroes Island, but neither the Ximen Family nor the Shangguan Family had ever paid them any attention.

Now, they were suddenly putting up serious gold to capture these two young people.

Most likely, it was to suck up to the Ximen and Shangguan Families.

Thus, the Fire Taoist accepted the commission.

This was also why he told Ximen Huai that these people might not have ill intentions.

As he recounted the story, he was also going over it again, which made him frown deeply.

He feared that from the very beginning, he'd been played.

There was one thing that had stuck in his craw in the earlier events, though he'd brushed it off at the time.

Why didn't they grab Ximen Huai themselves when they knew exactly where he'd be?

Why send him to do their dirty work?

Previously, he thought it was because they thought their martial arts might not be enough to defeat the Ximen Family's eldest son. But after tonight's encounter, clearly that wasn't the case.

Their true identity was the Seven Slayers Hall.

Making him act was probably just setting him up as the fall guy.

The plan failing was bad enough. But if he had truly handed over Ximen Huai earlier, he might not have made it out of this ruined temple alive.

The Ximen Family losing their eldest son would never connect it to the Seven Slayers Hall.

But someone would still know that the Fire Taoist had made a spectacle of escorting Ximen Huai.

And once he was dead, the Ximen Family would be left with no clues to follow, let alone any reason to suspect the Seven Slayers Hall.

From this perspective, Su Mo had genuinely saved his life.

As he spoke and pondered, the Fire Taoist broke out in a cold sweat.

"You've been reckless, Taoist."

Su Mo shook his head lightly. "You can't afford to be careless in the martial world."

"..."

The Fire Taoist seethed—after decades in the martial world, since when did he take orders from some upstart?

He raised his head angrily to glare at Su Mo, but as their eyes met, the Fire Taoist suddenly felt his anger just drained away...

"Taoist, let me ask you one more thing."

Su Mo spoke softly:

"Who was the person who hired you for this job?"

"I’m not entirely sure of his exact identity."

The Fire Taoist replied, "You know how these things go—employers often conceal themselves. However, after some investigation, I found that this person was likely a strategist from Wanliang Pavilion, known as Mr. Zimu."

"But now, that seems questionable."

"When I met him, he wore a half-mask."

"His beard was gray, and his complexion was unnaturally pale."

"Additionally, he wore a black glove on his left hand."

"I remember clearly—there was even an embroidered pair of mandarin ducks on the glove."

Su Mo pondered this before suddenly reaching out to tear open the cloth sack covering Ximen Huai.

Ximen Huai was exposed to daylight again.

But the moment he laid eyes on Su Mo, his face twisted with mixed emotions.

He sighed inwardly—just my luck—saved by the last person who should've helped me.

Still, seeing Su Mo here did ease his mind.

At the very least... he wasn't off somewhere with Shangguan Jingjing.

Su Mo merely glanced at Xi Menhuai, instantly saw through his thoughts, and was momentarily speechless.

He looked at the Fire Taoist:

"No need to trouble two people for one task. Please, Taoist."

The Fire Taoist sighed, stepped forward, and with a single poke, released Xi Menhuai's pressure points.

Xi Menhuai sat motionless, like a wooden statue.

Su Mo glanced at him before speaking:

"Brother Xi Menhuai..."

"Hmph."

Xi Menhuai let out a low snort and instinctively turned his face away.

Su Mo fell silent. What's going on here?

He shook his head lightly:

"Brother Xi Menhuai, what happened in the hall earlier was truly a misunderstanding on your part.

"Between Miss Shangguan and me, our relationship is completely innocent, with absolutely nothing between us.

"I hope you can reconsider and not let momentary anger ruin such a good thing."

"Ah?"

Xi Menhuai was stunned, not expecting Su Mo to start with something like that.

He couldn't help but give Su Mo a puzzled look:

"You... are you serious?"

"Not a word of lie."

"Then... what did she tell you then?"

Xi Menhuai said, "After leaving Twin Heroes Island, we agreed to meet at Tianqi Island. From then on, we'd be inseparable—why would she need to explain anything to anyone else?

"This... I truly don't understand."

"...Brother Xi Menhuai, you might be only seeing part of the story."

Su Mo gave a light laugh. "You don't actually think Miss Shangguan could ride on my ship and make it safely to Tianqi Island without giving something in return?"

"Ah?"

Xi Menhuai's face turned dark immediately. "I'll kill you!"

"What the—?"

Su Mo was completely confused.

As Xi Menhuai lunged at him, ready to fight to the death, even the Fire Taoist couldn't resist quietly giving him props.

This kid's got guts.

Su Mo's martial arts were unparalleled, and even he wouldn’t dare face him head-on, so he had no choice but to submit meekly.

He answered whatever questions were asked.

Yet Xi Menhuai, this reckless upstart, actually dared to approach him.

Did he have a death wish?

By now, Su Mo had figured out what was going on.

Once again, his words had given Xi Menhuai the wrong idea.

But was it his wording that was too vague?

Or was Xi Menhuai just paranoid?

After some thought, Su Mo decided this wasn’t on him.

The fare for boarding a ship was just that—a fare.

Why was this guy jumping to conclusions?

Moreover... Shangguan Jingjing wasn’t like that, was she?

With an inward sigh, he couldn’t be bothered to keep arguing. With one hand behind his back, he reached out and seized.

Under the grip of the Great Open Yang Scattering Palm, Xi Menhuai’s martial arts were useless before he could even move. Su Mo grabbed him by the chest and effortlessly lifted him into the air.

Every ounce of his strength was drained away.

Even then, Xi Menhuai continued to struggle:

"Su Mo... I swear I’ll never rest until you’re dead!"

Su Mo sighed. "Why so hot-headed? Can’t you just let me talk?

"Miss Shangguan hid on my ship at the time, pleading with me to take her to Tianqi Island. In exchange, she promised a chart of your Ximen Family’s ancestral lands as payment for the voyage.

"So I agreed.

"Today at the Idle Cloud Pavilion, what she wanted to discuss with me was precisely this.

"And you—without even knowing the facts, you lost your temper."

Su Mo sounded exasperated.

Xi Menhuai looked like he’d been struck by lightning:

"Wh-what did you say?"

Su Mo dropped him unceremoniously to the ground:

"That’s how it is. Believe it or not, Brother Ximen, that’s the truth.

"If not, suit yourself...

"But if you dare attack me again,

"don’t expect me to hold back."

Xi Menhuai stood frozen in stunned silence for a while before suddenly rising to his feet, preparing to leave.

Yet Su Mo's voice came to his ears once more:

"Where are you going?"

"I... I need to find Jingjing. I must make a formal apology to her."

Despite his words, Xi Menhuai's face was radiating joy.

Su Mo gave him a look and shook his head lightly:

"Do as you will. But before that, Xi Men, have you forgotten something?"

"Right! Right!"

Xi Menhuai nodded hastily and retrieved a brocade box from his robes, handing it to Su Mo:

"Brother Su, I acted like a complete fool before.

Please do not hold it against me.

After this matter is settled, I will surely kowtow in apology to you!"

After taking the box, Su Mo studied Xi Menhuai:

"You're just giving it to me like this?

Miss Shangguan once told me that this whole elopement scheme was orchestrated by someone else.

And what that person wanted was this very item, wasn't it?"

Xi Menhuai had a sudden realization upon hearing this and quickly replied:

"That’s exactly what I was about to tell you, Brother Su.

Just now..."

He glanced at the Fire Taoist:

"Just now, Senior Fire Taoist mentioned someone—that person was the one who helped Jingjing and me plan this disappearance act.

On his left hand, he wore a black glove embroidered with a pair of mandarin ducks."

Su Mo, however, betrayed no surprise, merely furrowing his brows slightly and muttering under his breath:

"Why such excessive caution? It seems unnecessary."

At this thought, he suddenly turned to Xi Menhuai:

"Do you intend to renege on your agreement with this person?"

Xi Menhuai paused, then nodded:

"He's of unknown origins. I don’t trust him.

But... ...but I longed so desperately to be with Jingjing.

That’s why I resorted to this drastic measure."

"This chart is actually a copy, carried with me as a precaution."

Su Mo nodded slightly upon hearing this. "Brother Xi Menhuai, now that you've given me this chart, my transaction with Miss Shangguan is complete. You're free to go. Whatever happens next is none of my concern."

"Got it."

Xi Menhuai gave a solemn thanks to Su Mo once more before turning to leave.

Su Mo looked at the brocade box in his hand.

His mind turned over the details as he mentally reviewed the entire situation.

The one behind the "Mandarin Duck Gloves" scheme orchestrated Xi Menhuai and Shangguan Jingjing's secret escape.

They had agreed the chart would be the payment on Tianqi Island.

Yet, they secretly hired the Fire Taoist to capture Xi Menhuai.

This might be because Xi Menhuai never trusted the mandarin duck gloves from the very beginning—

and the schemer caught on.

Or perhaps, from the start, they wanted both the chart and Xi Menhuai himself.

However, if they had captured him themselves, they might have left traces.

The Seven Slayers Hall operates in secrecy; they avoid even the smallest risks.

Thus, they used the Fire Taoist as a scapegoat.

But... why were they so cautious?

Were they afraid of something?

At this thought, Su Mo suddenly turned and looked at the Fire Taoist, who had been trying to sneak away while he was lost in thought. He gave a dry chuckle:

"Taoist, where are you off to now?"