Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Not a Blade in the Palm of Your Hand
Editor: Atlas Studios
The assassination attempt happened, and since the target didn't die, it naturally wasn't the end.
This matter is not over; one could only say it has just begun.
It's just that when the subsequent events had yet to happen, the first to arrive was Yang Xiaoyun.
This was not beyond Su Mo's expectations, but rather it further confirmed certain things.
At this moment, Yang Xiaoyun was at Ziyang Escort Agency, sitting right across from Su Mo.
However, she did not seem to be in a good mood.
She furrowed her brows and looked at Su Mo: "Why didn't you tell me the first thing?"
"Shush!"
Su Mo glanced at Uncle Fu, who was walking over with a smile on his face, and motioned for Yang Xiaoyun to be patient.
"Uncle Fu doesn't know?"
Yang Xiaoyun was stunned and fell silent immediately.
Uncle Fu came over with two cups of tea: "Miss Yun, here, have some tea. It's nothing fancy, so don't be too critical."
"Not at all, Uncle Fu."
Yang Xiaoyun stood up: "You don't have to be so polite, I consider this place like my own home, and your courtesy actually makes me feel like an outsider."
"Hahaha, yes, yes."
Uncle Fu laughed heartily: "Miss Yun used to come often when she was young, running around the courtyard with our little young master. Somehow, you two suddenly got into a fight, and the young master came back crying, saying Sister Yun bullied me... hahaha, it still echoes in my ears to this day."
"..."
Su Mo's mouth twitched, and he glanced at Yang Xiaoyun, noting her embarrassment as well.
He had no choice but to say: "Uncle Fu, I need to have a word with... Sister Yun."
"Mmm, alright, alright, then I won't disturb you, I'll go prepare some delicious food."
After saying so, he turned and left, his steps seemingly lighter.
Yang Xiaoyun watched Uncle Fu walk away before letting out a soft sigh: "In the past, Ziyang Escort Agency was bustling, but now only Uncle Fu is left. He has taken good care of three generations of the Su family, and even in the hardest times, he never left us. In the future, we should also ensure his well-being in his old age."
"…Mhm."
Su Mo nodded gently, now understanding Yang Xiaoyun a bit better.
For her, the marriage arrangement made since childhood had already become a part of her life.
Marrying Su Mo was an inevitable event for her.
This had nothing to do with affection; it was simply because in the past, her father and Su Mo's father had made an agreement.
An honorable man's promise carries the weight of a thousand catties, and this promise cannot be broken.
However... after understanding this, Su Mo felt even more puzzled.
But when it came to pinpointing exactly what was strange, he couldn't articulate it just then.
In the middle of his bemusement, Yang Xiaoyun sat back down and glared at Su Mo: "Tell me, what exactly happened?"
"…Didn't you already know?"
Su Mo couldn't help but chuckle: "Someone set an ambush to kill me on my way home. Then, I killed them all."
"You make it sound so casual."
Yang Xiaoyun's eyebrows shot up, obviously trying hard to suppress her anger: "That was an assassination; you nearly lost your life."
"Speaking of which, how did you find out?"
Su Mo decided to change the subject.
"You underestimated Iron Blood Escort Agency, didn't you? Yes, now your abilities have grown, and you know how to keep a low profile. During our sparring yesterday, were you going easy on me? In the narrow alley, you killed four Death Soldiers. In a single breath, you repelled Wu Chengfeng. Yesterday afternoon, Wu Chengfeng sent someone with a message saying that from now on, wherever you or I may be, he would stay away.
"Did they explain the reason for this action clearly!
"By combining the locations of your confrontation and the dead, plus a little investigation, what else is there not to understand?"
Yang Xiaoyun said coldly and with scorn: "What now, does Hero Su, with his great martial arts prowess, intend to blame me for meddling?"
Su Mo's mouth twitched, Wu Chengfeng was indeed a blabbermouth.
However, the man did keep his word; saying he would not entangle and then acting so decisively, but it made Su Mo suspect whether Wu Chengfeng had been wanting to back out for a while?
After all, even if one's entire body was made of iron, how many beatings could they withstand?
Seeing Yang Xiaoyun filled with indignation, he couldn't help but laugh: "I knew you were exceptional with the spear, but I didn't expect that your verbal jousting is just as potent as your Bright Silver Spear."
"...You still dare to joke?"
Yang Xiaoyun stood up with a whoosh.
"No more jokes, no more jokes."
Feeling helpless, Su Mo picked up the teacup: "Let's drink tea, drink tea."
"Hmph."
Yang Xiaoyun sat down angrily, picked up the teacup, and took a big gulp before saying: "This mastermind behind the scenes, have you any clues?"
"It's quite difficult to say."
Su Mo sighed: "Perhaps I'm in someone's way?"
It's actually not hard to guess, one only needs to consider who benefits from Su Mo's death.
Given Su Mo's current state of being mostly unknown, the only possible reason that could warrant such deadly peril might be one.
His gaze rested upon Yang Xiaoyun.
"Is it that bunch of barren men? Knowing that you and I are betrothed, your existence blocks Wu Chengfeng's way, so they wished you dead?"
Yang Xiaoyun sneered: "Let's go!"
"Where to?"
"To find Wu Chengfeng, to ask who gave Wu Daoyou such a devious idea. If he doesn't know, we'll ask Wu Daoyou.
"No matter how you look at it, this matter can't be separated from them.
"After all, we must get to the bottom of this!"
While talking, she reached for the Silver Spear with one hand and was about to drag Su Mo with the other.
"Not so fast, not so fast."
Su Mo waved his hand: "In this matter, it's better not to act rashly, I believe."
"You can still sit still? This is an emergency!"
Yang Xiaoyun realized she hardly recognized the man in front of her now; he had just been targeted for assassination, yet he sat there calmly drinking tea, whilst she was as anxious as if her buttocks were on fire.
"The fire hasn't reached the eyebrows yet."
Su Mo had Yang Xiaoyun sit down: "Aren't I still alive?"
"You are alive now, but if they failed to kill you once, it's very possible they will try a second time. And this second attempt will surely be harder to guard against. Besides, there are many days to play the thief, but not so many to guard against one. One misstep, and one risks losing their life!"
"Therefore, I must be more cautious going forward."
"More cautious?"
Yang Xiaoyun was taken aback, then she bristled: "Xiao Mo, you mustn't treat your life as a joke!"
"Precisely because I do not wish to gamble with my life, I mustn't act recklessly,"
Su Mo said: "At least, with the mastermind behind the scenes still hidden, any rash action not only fails to help but could also turn us into their unwitting pawns."
"Hmm? What exactly are you thinking?"
"About this matter... as an insignificant escort of the Ziyang Escort Agency, killing me is certainly not their goal. What they truly desire is the gain they achieve through killing me."
Su Mo curled the corners of his mouth: "I just had a fall-out with Wu Chengfeng, then immediately afterward, I was nearly killed in a dark alley. If you were them, what would be your first thought?"
"That Wu Chengfeng was responsible?"
Yang Xiaoyun's eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"Exactly... That is the normal train of thought. But they miscalculated one thing. They thought my martial arts were lacking, hence sending four Death Soldiers, assuming I would die swiftly and neatly. However, unexpectedly, I survived... I survived, and thus learned something."
Su Mo picked up the teapot and poured another cup of tea for Yang Xiaoyun: "True, I had a confrontation with Wu Chengfeng, but the Death Soldiers came too quickly; it couldn't be his doing. So then, is there someone behind the scenes trying to frame and blame? Or perhaps... someone else is attempting to reap the benefits of a fisherman?"
The Luofeng Alliance Hierarch has a total of eight members, two in each of the four major cities.
Aside from the Alliance Leader Wei Ruhan, the other seven are all eyeing the position of Alliance Leader, seeing each other as thorns in their sides.
Moreover, a master from Lengyue Palace as a potential rival - if she were interested in the position of Alliance Leader, who knows what she could do?
Wu Daoyou wants to ally with the Iron Blood Escort Agency, and whether or not it succeeds, others would not wish to see it happen.
Thus, the possibilities for this incident were manifold.
Su Mo isn't someone without temper; being targeted for assassination and still able to sit and drink tea calmly.
Mainly... to retaliate, one must at least know who struck them, right?
To retaliate blindly, thinking oneself awe-inspiring, while in reality, simply becoming another's blade in the palm."
Chapter 26: Chapter 26: When the child grows up, he no longer follows his father's dictates.
Editor: Atlas Studios
After Su Mo leisurely stated his point of view, Yang Xiaoyun finally calmed down a little.
In fact, Yang Xiaoyun might not have lacked such considerations herself in the past.
But as the saying goes, concern leads to chaos.
Since she was young, she had regarded Su Mo as family. Naturally, when matters involved Su Mo, especially such a dangerous assassination, she couldn't help but become discomposed.
"You are indeed making sense. This is an oversight on my part...
"I only thought about Wu Chengfeng and the treacherous person behind him, fixating on the petty grievances of the younger generation, yet I forgot to consider the possibility that this might be related to the struggle for the Alliance Leader position within the Phoenix Alliance.
"But, isn't it too dangerous to wait for them to make another move?"
"Actually... the success of these two assassination attempts is still uncertain. If I had been truly powerless to resist during the first assassination attempt and died at their hands, then so be it. But now I'm not dead, so... the situation remains unresolved. And with that being the case..."
He paused slightly at this point.
"What?"
Yang Xiaoyun looked at him, trying to see what else he might be thinking.
Su Mo pondered for a moment and then said, "Actually, there's something I'm quite curious about. They seem so eager to kill me, as if by killing me they could directly disrupt the alliance between Wu Daoyou and Uncle Yang. But the question is... up till now, has Uncle Yang taken a stance on this matter?"
"This... In recent years, my father has been secretive, always acting covertly and never making things clear to me. We father and daughter have spoken less in a few months than I've spoken with you in a single day. How would I know what he thinks about this matter?"
Yang Xiaoyun's words carried a hint of resentment.
Remembering her expectation of Yang Yi's 'Unity of Knowledge and Action' from yesterday, it was not hard to understand.
Su Mo nodded gently: "Let's set this matter aside for now. If our speculation is true, do you think the person they truly wish to deal with would sit idly by and just watch the flowers bloom and fade away?"
"The ultimate goal of those who want to kill you, no matter who lurks behind the scenes, is probably to prevent Wu Daoyou's plans from succeeding. This matter seems a direct stab aimed at Wu Daoyou."
Yang Xiaoyun nodded and let out a soft sigh.
"...And yet I'm the one who gets stabbed."
"Do you also know?"
Yang Xiaoyun glared at Su Mo in annoyance: "But speaking of which, no matter who the person behind the scenes is, they are now constrained."
Su Mo nodded lightly, with a smile: "Doesn't that make things more interesting?"
"So what do you think we should do now?"
"Of course, we should stabilize our own position."
Su Mo said with a smile: "The more they want you to do something, the less you should do it. Rather than acting blindly, it's better to sit and watch the chaos unfold. Otherwise, even if we could really wipe out the entire Phoenix Alliance, even if it were possible, can one truly rely on martial prowess and act violently with impunity?"
In Jianghu, martial arts are important, but one cannot act recklessly and arrogantly.
Especially since Su Mo is involved with running an escort agency, to ensure the escort agency thrives financially, actions must be measured and methodical.
To initiate a bloodbath at the slightest disagreement is only to demonstrate the valor of the common brute and is not a long-term strategy.
In fact, in Jianghu, those who only rely on martial arts to act violently often do not meet good ends.
Either they are labeled as heretics and are hunted and killed by the orthodox factions.
Or they become unwitting pawns in the hands of others, taking pride in their own ignorance.
By the time the true intentions come to light, it's usually too late for regrets.
"You can indeed keep cool... You didn't seem to have such good Qi Cultivation Skill in the past."
"People are forged through pressure."
It was meant as a joke, but when he looked up, he saw a gaze filled with pity from Yang Xiaoyun.
He wished he could slap himself...
To him, the comment was a joke, but how could Yang Xiaoyun fully understand that?
Speaking those words, who knows what Yang Xiaoyun might think.
Just as he was about to divert the topic, he saw Yang Xiaoyun suddenly slap the table:
"So be it, then I won't go back during this time."
"Uh... What?"
Su Mo suddenly looked up at Yang Xiaoyun: "What do you mean?"
"No matter who the person behind the scenes is, whether or not they're pulling strings, and regardless of how each action might affect everything else.
"And whether Wu Daoyou has made any decisions?
"All of that has nothing to do with me.
"To me, none of this is as important as your life. How could I possibly go home and sleep peacefully if this matter isn't settled?"
Yang Xiaoyun said as if it were the most natural thing in the world: "Of course, I should stay by your side to protect you."
"...Uncle Yang won't agree."
"I'm not a three-year-old child, have you not heard the saying?"
"What saying?"
"A grown child cannot be dictated by their father!"
"..."
Su Mo realized he not only had never heard this saying, but he also had never said it with such righteousness.
He frowned deeply for a moment: "Sister Xiao Yun… This might not be appropriate. Although we are engaged, after all, we are not yet married. If you end up staying at Ziyang Escort Agency, this could damage your reputation..."
"Hm? What's so important about that? A mere reputation is worthless compared to your life."
Yang Xiaoyun casually waved her hand: "Besides, we are going to be husband and wife eventually. The fact that I have been betrothed to you since I was a child is known by the whole Luoxia City. The women of the Yang Family do not marry twice, so this decision does not harm my reputation."
"Ah this..."
Su Mo clenched his teeth, truly not knowing what to say.
But then he saw Yang Xiaoyun staring at him without blinking.
Su Mo subconsciously touched his face, making sure there was no tea stain: "What's wrong?"
"I want to take a good look at you."
Yang Xiaoyun looked at Su Mo: "I've watched you grow up since we were kids, but I didn't expect that after two years of rarely seeing each other, when we meet again, you would have changed so much."
"...How have I changed?"
"In the past, you were frivolous and indecisive, like mud that can't stick to the wall."
Yang Xiaoyun said with a smile: "Don't be angry when I say this. In fact, I wasn't exactly pleased with our engagement at first. But still, I couldn't break that promise. Therefore, I was prepared to support you for a lifetime."
"This..."
Su Mo shook his head. If they truly got married and lived together, it wouldn't be possible for someone to always support the other.
If it was indeed like that, life would be too exhausting.
"But now, it's different."
Yang Xiaoyun looked at Su Mo: "You seem to have become reliable. Facing an assassination, you remained calm and collected, with well-thought-out plans that even I could not match. Among the younger generation, Wu Chengfeng is considered skilled. However, you shrugged your shoulders, and sent him flying straight into the restaurant. Such Inner Strength is indeed astonishing...
"Xiao Mo, what's the story with your Inner Strength? How did it improve so dramatically?"
This woman really lived up to the reputation of a female hero. When the conversation turned to martial arts, her eyes lit up again and she stood up excitedly: "Come on, let's have another go. Yesterday, I thought your Inner Strength was shallow and didn't dare to use it when exchanging moves, mainly because I was worried about accidentally injuring you if we couldn't hold back in time.
"Now that your Inner Strength is exceptional, let's fight another round!"
While she was talking, she pulled Su Mo to spar.
Su Mo didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that moment, and right then, Uncle Fu came from afar, smiling broadly:
"You must be hungry by now, right? I've prepared the food, come and have a meal."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
5 Power
stone 
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