Bab 7: Chapter 7: Inside the Luohua Pavilion
Editor: Atlas Studios
Outside Wangxiang Town, there used to be a peach blossom forest.
Each time the peach blossoms were in full bloom, the Ten Miles Peach Blossoms were unforgettable.
However, it was not the season for the peach blossoms to bloom.
Thus, only branches across Ten Miles were left, slightly desolate.
In this patch of peach trees, there was a pavilion called Luohua Pavilion.
Observing the falling petals of peach blossoms and tasting the essence of life through the seasons was indeed a unique pleasure.
Su Mo followed that young man, who was heading towards the Luohua Pavilion in the peach blossom forest.
Before they reached it, they already heard the distant and stirring tones of the zither, resembling the sound of mountains and rocks.
Moving forward, they saw a middle-aged man sitting in the pavilion, deeply engrossed in playing the zither.
A single ancient zither, and one burner of incense!
With three strands of long beard fluttering in the wind, he seemed utterly carefree.
That young man gestured Su Mo to wait a moment and then left after saying goodbye.
Su Mo smiled and did not interrupt the middle-aged man's playing, just quietly listening.
After a while, the piece concluded.
The middle-aged man pressed his hand on the zither strings to stop the sound, as the light smoke from the incense burner lingered, he looked up at Su Mo and smiled casually:
"Young Hero has arrived? This old man was relieving his emotions through the zither and got carried away, I fear I have neglected you."
"Not at all, not at all."
Su Mo waved his hand: "It is I who unfairly enjoyed an exquisite piece, and thus gained the advantage."
"Oh?"
The middle-aged man's eyebrows vaguely showed delight: "Young Hero is actually a connoisseur? But I wonder what you found wonderful about this piece?"
"Hm…"
Su Mo thought for a moment, then earnestly replied: "It sounds pleasant."
"…"
The middle-aged man was stunned, obviously not expecting such a straightforward and superficial answer from Su Mo.
After a brief shock, he could not help but burst into laughter:
"Young Hero is indeed a man who appreciates fun, far beyond the mundane. Please, have a seat."
He gestured with his hand, and Su Mo, giving a bow, finally entered Luohua Pavilion and sat opposite the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man poured a cup of tea for Su Mo: "It's nothing special, but it possesses a novelty. Some time ago, an old friend from the far north of Donghuang brought it. The north is harshly cold, not conducive for tea cultivation. Yet peculiarly, there is a rare type called Xue Lihong, which thrives more as the cold deepens. Locals use Donghuang's tea-making method to brew it, and surprisingly, it turned out quite well, Young Hero can give it a try."
Su Mo took the tea cup and smiled: "May I inquire about Senior's honored name and surname?"
"Haha, my apologies for my rudeness."
The middle-aged man smiled lightly: "My surname is Xu, and in my early years, I learned a few tricks and roamed Jianghu. People in Jianghu gave me the nickname Mountain Flipping Hand. However, the turbulence of Jianghu was too rapid, and within a few years, I was mentally exhausted, hence I chose to retreat to the mountains and enjoy my solitude."
"So, it's Mountain Flipping Hand Senior Xu, I've heard much about you."
Su Mo hastily gave a bow.
Of course, despite his words, he did not believe a single word this man said.
He had never heard of the name Mountain Flipping Hand before.
Although one could say that Su Mo was ignorant and failed to recognize the Master in person, this man was definitely not the kind who retired to the woods to enjoy wealth.
Otherwise, why would he be so busy preparing for a Brocade Box?
The middle-aged man surnamed Xu smiled lightly: "You flatter me too much. My humble name is hardly worth such admiration."
Despite saying so, his face showed delight, as if he truly enjoyed the praise from Su Mo.
Observing his words and gestures, Su Mo couldn't help but admire him. Although harboring different intentions inside, this man's speech and actions, down to the smallest movement of his fingers, were impeccable.
It can be said, no flaws were revealed naturally.
Had it not been for seeing him with several others in the forest, Su Mo would almost have believed his words.
From this, it can be seen that the Jianghu is mysterious and often lies in the human heart; the dangers of the human heart are the evils of Jianghu.
"Young Hero, having not truly experienced the vastness of Jianghu in my younger years, I have often reflected on this and felt regret. Therefore, I hold those who travel through the Jianghu in high regard. This prompted me to take the liberty of inviting you here for a chat, please do not take offense, let me apologize first."
As he finished speaking, he stood up and bowed deeply, his manner sincere.
Su Mo made a gesture of support: "Senior is too polite."
The middle-aged man surnamed Xu slightly moved his eyes and then smiled: "As long as Young Hero does not mind, come, let's have tea."
Su Mo picked up the teacup, pretending to drink, but paused slightly: "Speaking of which, there is one thing that I really do not understand and would like to ask Senior for clarification."
"Oh? Let's hear it."
"Although my whereabouts are not a secret, I did not inform anyone about my visit here. Not only did Senior know my surname Su, but even my attire and appearance were described exactly. May I know where did you hear about me?"
Su Mo put down his teacup and looked up at the middle-aged man, his eyes faintly seeking the truth.
The middle-aged man surnamed Xu did not show any surprise but simply chuckled: "I knew Young Hero would be curious about this, but..."
His tone pondering, he picked up his teacup as a sign.
Su Mo just smiled without speaking.
"Ah..."
The middle-aged man named Xu sighed softly: "Well, since Young Hero insists on asking, I am not unwilling to answer... Just because, a day ago, by the roadside and within the forest, I personally witnessed Young Hero's divine might!"
"Huh!"
Is this the crux of the matter?
Su Mo's expression suddenly changed, but he heard the middle-aged man named Xu chuckle lightly:
"Young Hero has remarkable physical strength and is also very cautious, not like someone who is new to the Jianghu. However, the time has also about come, do you feel your body getting weaker?"
Su Mo frowned slightly, his expression growing darker: "Impossible, I didn't drink any of the tea."
"Ha ha ha, being cautious about what you consume is correct, but on the Jianghu where there are many masters and million divine skills, why limit to just the contents of the cup?"
He pointed to the incense burner beside the ancient zither, and said with a laugh: "Did you enjoy the incense?"
"..."
Su Mo smirked, "Poison in the incense? And yet you are unharmed?"
"I had taken an antidote beforehand."
The middle-aged man surnamed Xu stood up, his attitude triumphant: "Hu Piaopiao claims to have myriad methods, and Chef Zhou took the first step, although I don't know how you passed Chef Zhou's test, but since you managed to come to Wangxiang Town, you still can't escape from my grasp. Young man, your physical strength is truly terrifying, even I am not fully confident facing you directly.
"Thus, I resorted to these means to capture you.
"Now, you are like fish on a chopping board. If you don't want to die, you better listen to whatever I say."
"…So it is, you're also here for the Brocade Box?"
Su Mo smiled bitterly: "I thought so, there's no such thing as free lunch or someone randomly inviting me for food and lodging without an ulterior motive... Now, I am bound to die, but before I die, there is one thing I do not understand and wish to die knowing, may I ask, what exactly is inside the Brocade Box?"
Bab 8: Chapter 8: Da Xuan's Armory!
Editor: Atlas Studios
"You are quick to see the situation, knowing that pointless resistance is meaningless. However, rest assured, as long as you obey, this old man may not necessarily kill you."
The man simply smiled: "As for the object in the Brocade Box, huh, there's no harm in telling you, but what will you exchange for it?"
"Hmm?"
Su Mo was startled: "Now that I've ended up like this, what do I have left to keep?"
Yet, the next moment, he had an epiphany: "You want my martial arts?"
Inside the forest, this person had witnessed with his own eyes Su Mo breaking a blade with two fingers, flinging it and piercing through a person's neck, and still being able to penetrate three big trees in succession.
Such physical strength was indeed a bit terrifying.
It was natural for him to desire to possess this skill.
That's why the other party used poison, but only to rob Su Mo of the ability to fight back, instead of directly silencing him by killing.
"It's a pleasure to talk with a smart person."
The man sat down again, picking up his teacup: "In actuality, there's no poison in this tea."
As the words fell, he took a sip and then said: "So, do you agree or not?"
"Do I even have a reason to refuse now?"
Su Mo sighed: "I don't ask that you spare my life, I only wish for a quick death."
"Ha ha ha, if not for our differing positions, with your temperament, I would have liked to befriend you despite the age difference."
The man said this, yet fell silent again for a moment, before finally speaking up: "The object inside the box is called 'Mysterious Mechanism'."
"?"
Su Mo thought carefully, there was definitely no record of such a thing in his notes.
For a moment, he was somewhat baffled, and the confusion on his face was completely genuine.
"You're young and inexperienced, naturally you would not have heard of it."
The man said indifferently: "But, you should have heard of 'Da Xuan's Armory'."
Su Mo's eyebrows furrowed slightly: "Isn't that just a legend?"
Going back hundreds of years, the times were different from now. There was a dynasty named Xuan!
The Da Xuan Dynasty was powerful, and with its own might, it suppressed the world. Everywhere under heaven was the king's land, and everyone along the coast was the king's subject!
Even the most arrogant martial artists in Jianghu and the most powerful Jianghu Sects all had to bow their heads and proclaim themselves subjects under this imperial power.
It is said that when Xuan Tianzi unified the world back then, he personally led the troops on seven campaigns, horses trampling Jianghu, collecting all martial arts under state control, thus establishing an enormous arsenal. This was not only filled with countless Divine Skill Secret Books but also with endless exotic treasures, truly deserving the title of the world's greatest treasury!
However, there have never been invincible masters in this world, nor eternal dynasties!
Even the mighty Da Xuan Dynasty had its day of downfall.
Overnight, the royal authority crumbled, some said this was returning Qiyun to Jianghu, and as a result, it kicked off centuries of conflicts in Jianghu.
During these hundreds of years, many heroes rose in Jianghu, carving territories and ruling them, with ceaseless strife.
Through unity and division, but never again did a dynasty appear that unified the world under one rule.
As a result, across the world, the Martial Arts flourished, but scholars were left in frustrated yearning.
This was also why, back in the day when Su Mo told Li Yishu 'I wish Brother Li a future as splendid as brocade', Li Yishu could only smile bitterly and sigh deeply.
And among all this, numerous legends circulated in the world.
Among the most popular ones that people yearned for was indeed the tale of Da Xuan's Armory!
```
Not only because of its legendary origins and documented history, but there was also a saying that spread: He who obtains Da Xuan, commands the world!
For a time, indeed, quite a few people were mobilized by the mere mention of it.
Regrettably, after successive waves of bloody struggles, it all came to nothing in the end.
Not only did no one obtain the arsenal in Da Xuan's Armory, or the extraordinary skills and exotic treasures within, but even the existence of Da Xuan's Armory itself was cast into doubt by countless question marks.
As time passed, many simply came to regard it as a Jianghu legend.
Yet who would have thought, this Brocade Box would actually be involved with this matter?
That explains why that young Blade user was so determined to kill me that day...
This matter, with its earth-shattering implications, could lead to obliteration if even a whisper escaped, ensuring not the slightest trace remained.
Otherwise, it would spell enormous trouble.
"A legend...isn't a legend grounded in nothingness, a baseless fabrication—how could it be without reason?"
The middleman, surnamed Xu, chuckled softly: "Alright, you know enough now, it's your turn."
"Just by mentioning Da Xuan's Armory, you want to trap my martial arts skills?"
A twitch played at the corner of Su Mo's mouth: "Isn't that a bit too easy?"
"Hmm? I had thought you were a smart man, but it seems I overestimated you... While most of what I just told you was deceit, one thing was true. Indeed, I possess a Hand Technique, named Mountain Flipping Palm.
"Admittedly, it can't truly flip a mountain with the wave of a hand, yet crushing your bones would be effortless!"
With these words, he suddenly thrust out a palm, sending a fierce gust of wind barrel toward Su Mo's shoulder.
At this moment, he was still not intent on killing, for with Su Mo's death, the martial arts would be without a destination.
He sought to find that legendary Da Xuan's Armory, and the difficulties along the way go without saying. If aided by a Divine Skill, success would come much easier.
And as for Su Mo?
A fish on the chopping board has no chance of turning the tides.
Unexpectedly, Su Mo, who had previously slumped weakly onto the stone table, suddenly smiled and promptly rose to his feet.
With a palm thrust out in kind, the two palms collided fiercely before his opponent could react.
There was just a thunderous boom, and the man, caught off guard, felt an overwhelming surge of Inner Strength burst unreasonably into his meridians, crushing everything in its path; where it passed, meridians broke inch by inch!
Within the space of a breath, coursing through his body, all his meridians were suddenly severed.
The man then flew backward like a torn sack, thrown back a full thirty feet, and upon hitting the ground, his momentum unabated, he rolled farther still, only stopping after another ten feet when obstructed by a peach tree.
To the point where the peach tree shuddered nonstop, as if receiving a profound shock.
Su Mo looked at his palm and shook his head lightly:
"I overestimated you..."
Within the forest, his two fingers snapped the blade, his backward flick packed with astonishing force.
He was unaware that this was the result of Su Mo's deliberate control.
And currently, without knowing the depth of his opponent's martial arts, Su Mo only released thirty percent of his strength, yet unexpectedly, he left his foe battered as if he were non-human.
In many ways, he had indeed overestimated his adversary and underestimated himself.
His Thirteenth stage Great Perfection Longxiang Wisdom, in terms of Inner Strength and physical strength, although would not dare to claim unmatched under the heavens, certainly few could stand shoulder to shoulder with it.
Clearly, the man before him was not one such person.
Thirty percent of Inner Strength was enough to beat him like a dead dog.
```
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