### Chapter 3: Accepting the Mission

### Chapter 3: Accepting the Mission

"Not bad, not bad. This kind of headless business, if you take it up, you'll likely end up headless too. If it were me, I wouldn't accept it either!"

The voice came from beside him.

Su Mo turned to look and saw a young man with a single saber at his waist, his face wearing a gentle smile.

Seeing Su Mo looking at him, the young man smiled again. "Since you don't plan to take this escort job, why don't you give me the brocade box?"

"Sure."

Without hesitation, Su Mo picked up the brocade box and threw it to the young man.

The young man quickly caught the box, his hand trembling slightly. He laughed heartily:

"Good, truly efficient! Since that's the case, I have another request!"

"What is it?"

"Could you... lend me your head for a moment?"

As he spoke, a flash of blade appeared, its edge already at Su Mo's neck.

From the moment this young man appeared, Su Mo was not meant to leave alive.

They killed and stole in utmost secrecy. Even if Su Mo had only seen the black-clad man's appearance, it would be enough reason for him to die.

Otherwise, if Su Mo had said he wasn't going to take the escort job and didn't want to get involved, they could have waited for him to leave before taking the box, and everyone would be happy.

Thus, this young man had come with the intention of killing.

Whether Su Mo gave the box or took the job made no difference!

The young man's saber was excellent, and so was his technique. Beheading someone was swift and clean.

Moreover, he had used smiles and a gentle tone to lull Su Mo into complacency.

This strike should have been flawless!

However, this strike did indeed go awry!

The blade hovered an inch from Su Mo's neck, unable to advance further.

Two fingers held the blade tightly.

"I already said I'm not taking the job, and I gave you a chance. Why must you insist on this?"

Su Mo sighed. His Dragon Elephant Prajna Art protected him, his inner strength reaching an incredible level. He had heard the young man approaching long before he got close.

His words about not taking the job were meant for the young man to hear.

The purpose was to make it clear that he didn't want to get involved in this trouble.

If the other party had backed off without the intent to kill, Su Mo would have truly left the box and walked away.

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned!

A loud clang echoed as the good saber was snapped by Su Mo's two fingers.

The young man's palm split open, blood flowing down the hilt, but he didn't even glance at it.

He thought he could easily kill this minor figure, who could have guessed he was so unfathomably powerful?

He immediately tried to retreat, moving swiftly!

But while he was fast, Su Mo was faster!

With no room for negotiation, Su Mo showed no mercy.

With a flick of the blade, half of it flew like lightning towards the young man's throat.

The young man, skilled in martial arts, raised the remaining half of the saber to block, intending to counterattack.

However, reality proved harsher than any plan.

The blade pierced through the half-saber blocking his throat, passing through it and continuing on to strike a tree behind him.

After piercing through three trees, it finally stopped embedded in the fourth, the blade buried deep within the trunk.

The young man remained standing, still holding the half-saber in front of his throat, his eyes filled with fear, yet lifeless.

Su Mo stood up, approached the young man, and sighed: "Why go to such lengths..."

He casually retrieved the brocade box. The box was small enough to fit in his bag.

Glancing around the forest, he sighed again:

"Well, I suppose I'll make a trip to Ji Mingyi."

The storms of the martial world come and go swiftly. Since he couldn't avoid them, he might as well move forward.

Packing his belongings, he slung his bag over his shoulder, identified the direction to Ji Mingyi, and left.

...

...

Less than a cup of tea after Su Mo left, several people appeared.

"Do you think he noticed us?"

"It's hard to say. His final gaze was quite intriguing."

"Two fingers holding a broken knife, the blade piercing through one knife and a person's throat, still managing to go through three trees and pin itself on the fourth. This man... what incredible strength!"

"Hmph, don't boost his morale while diminishing your own. He's just a novice. Watch how easily I'll capture him!"

"Haha, naturally, your methods are numerous and unpredictable."

After a brief inspection, they did not linger long and followed in the direction Su Mo had gone.

They didn't even spare a second glance at the corpses of the young man and the black-clothed man.

Not long after they left, another person emerged from the woods.

Watching the direction they had gone, he chewed on a flatbread in his hand.

"Tending to the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind? Playing this game with me?"

Taking a sip of water, Su Mo swallowed the flatbread: "I had planned to secretly listen and figure out what's going on with you people... but you didn't mention anything. However, since my presence is now known, things have become easier. In this situation, this job might still be doable."

When Su Mo left earlier, he already knew there were others hiding in the woods.

This was only natural.

The black-clothed man had wounds from knives, swords, and fists.

Conservatively estimating, there were at least three people who attacked him.

How could only one person with a knife come out without any further action?

So, Su Mo's departure was merely for show.

He circled back in secret, intending to uncover the true identity of those hiding in the dark.

As he pondered, Su Mo's thoughts shifted, and the information before him reappeared.

"Mission: Deliver the brocade box to Wang Xianglin at the Yuquan Inn in Ji Mingyi!"

"Accept?"

"This situation has already drawn me in, whether I wanted it or not. Even if I were to discard the brocade box and leave now, Ziyang Escort Agency would still be on their radar. If they can't find me, they will surely look for Ziyang Escort Agency."

"You can run, but you can't hide."

"Since that's the case, let's play this game properly."

With a firm resolve, Su Mo tapped his finger: "Accept!"