Chapter 55

The next morning, it was quite late when the siblings finally woke up. They were completely unaware of what had happened the night before, and they assumed they had just slept in due to a hangover. Mo Xiang didn’t intend to boast about taking down a third-rate thug, so the matter was let go. After everyone washed up, they went to the restaurant on the first floor. When Chaoxi looked around the restaurant, Mo Xiang asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I was wondering if Jin Daxia was here...”

“Oh, that guy left early this morning. He had to go because something came up while you were sleeping. He said to pass on his regards later.”

Chaoxi, who heard Mo Xiang’s thick-skinned explanation, looked a bit disappointed. “Is that so?”

Everyone sat at the table, but when no waiter appeared, Mo Xiang shouted, “Hey, take our order!”

“Yes, sir.”

A waiter appeared as if from nowhere, standing there trembling as if he was scared of something. Chaoxi asked, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing, sir.”

“Then bring us some food that’s good for hangovers.”

“Yes, sir.”

As soon as the order was taken, the waiter disappeared like the wind. Everyone could only imagine why the waiter’s attitude was so strange, but since he didn’t say anything, they each had their own thoughts. After a late breakfast, they set off in the direction where the Black Wind Gang was likely to be. On the way, they stopped when they saw a notice posted.

"The commander of the Black Wind Gang, Yu Yingzhen, misused his position to embezzle a large amount of wealth and, worse still, plotted a heinous rebellion against the imperial authority. He was executed at his residence by the Jin Yi Wei after they obtained solid evidence. However, some of his remnants are still hiding, so if you see a group of people in black armor, be sure to contact the authorities. If the information is confirmed to be true, a reward will be given.

Commander of the Jin Yi Wei, Li Seban"

After reading the notice, the villagers, who were unaware of the world, commented, “The end times have come. How could such a high-ranking official... tsk tsk.”

“With such corrupt people, the country can’t be in good shape.”

“What a despicable person with a human face but a beast’s heart.”

Seeing this, Chou Wu looked at the villagers with disdain and said, “Come on, let’s get going. We need to cross the Baishui River by noon tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir.”

Though he was young, Chou Wu didn’t disappoint Mo Xiang’s expectations in terms of tracking and information analysis. Honestly, the only reason he was tied up and dragged along like a dog was because he felt this method would help find the Black Wind Gang faster. Chou Wu pushed the group to cross the Baishui River and move quickly. After eight days, he began to believe they were almost at the Black Wind Gang’s location. After asking the villagers several questions, he returned to the group and shared his thoughts.

“They must be hiding in the Woun Mountain that you can see over there. There are already some government troops moving in this area, and if they move from Woun Mountain to Tiantai Mountain, they will reach Qinghai Province, which is under the jurisdiction of the Zhenxiao Marshal. They seem to be planning to move to Qinghai Province, where the troops are relatively fewer, even though the Zhenxiao Marshal still has a complete army.”

“How many government troops are there in this area?”

“Based on the uniforms and numbers the villagers have told us, there are about 20,000 troops under the Zhenxiao Marshal and about 30,000 under the Zhengbei Marshal. However, the smaller number of troops sent from the Zhenxiao Marshal suggests that they don’t intend to fight the Black Wind Gang, so we only need to be cautious of the Zhengbei Marshal’s troops.”

“But are they definitely in Woun Mountain?”

“There’s a 90% chance. There are faint signs of movement in that direction, and the villager said he saw a mess of horse tracks that weren’t there when he went to cut wood yesterday.”

“But can we really conclude they are the Black Wind Gang just from the horse tracks?”

“That’s true, but the tracks appeared overnight... Why would the government troops risk a night march? If they were ambushed by the Black Wind Gang, who are skilled in martial arts, they would be completely wiped out.”

“That’s true. But they could have set up camp somewhere beyond Woun Mountain, right?”

“No, Woun Mountain is rugged and hard to traverse. Since they climbed over Woun Mountain without detouring, it seems they chose a dangerous mountain path to move secretly. Even if they made it, they probably only reached Wumei Mountain or Zhangchuan Mountain beside Woun Mountain.”

Hearing this, Mo Xiang suddenly burst out laughing.

“Hahaha... good, good... Now that we’re moving through the mountains, I don’t need your help anymore. I’m pretty confident in my tracking skills... I can just follow the tracks... From now on, I’ll act on my own, so please untie these handcuffs.”

“That’s not possible. We need to confirm if you’re a spy...”

“Fine.”

With a snap, Mo Xiang stretched out his hands, and the chains of the handcuffs broke like rotten ropes.

“You... you’ve unblocked your acupoints... and that’s iron...”

“Unblocking acupoints doesn’t take much time. Hand it over.”

Mo Xiang held out his palm, and Chou Wu looked at him in shock.

“Yes?”

“I want my dagger.”

Chou Wu handed over the dagger, and Mo Xiang quickly drew it. Unlike the cheap-looking scabbard, the dagger that emerged had a dark luster, clearly not an ordinary weapon.

“...”

As Mo Xiang drew the dagger, everyone tensed, measuring their distance from him and preparing to draw their swords. But what truly shocked them was the next moment. The dark dagger suddenly emitted a strong blue flame-like light.

“Ah!”

Though they didn’t say it out loud, it was undoubtedly the legendary sword control technique (御劍術) they had only heard about. The moment they saw it, all their fighting spirit vanished. They realized they couldn’t possibly win against him. Mo Xiang used the dagger to cut the iron handcuffs on his wrists as easily as cutting rotten wood, then put the dagger back in his pocket and looked at the three stunned faces.

“I’d like to kill all of you for putting these handcuffs on me, but I’ve grown fond of you and appreciate your help in finding the Black Wind Gang quickly. If you ever tell anyone that you blocked my acupoints and put handcuffs on me, I’ll cut out your tongue and twist your neck. Remember that, day and night.”

With that, Mo Xiang leaped onto his horse and shot off towards Woun Mountain at an incredible speed.

Chaoxi, who was still staring at Mo Xiang’s receding figure, said, “That was the sword control technique, right?”

“Probably... I’ve never seen it with my own eyes, so I can’t be sure.”

“What kind of light body technique is that? It looks faster than riding a horse.”

“Seems you don’t know much about the world... Maybe everything he said was true. The martial world is vast. My father said that while the 2 Emperors, 5 Kings, and 4 Heavenly Kings are strong, there might be even stronger people hidden in the mountains. I didn’t believe it, but it seems to be true...”

“But brother, no matter what, we were taught that the martial arts of famous schools are the strongest, and the children of famous schools are the strongest among the younger generation. How can someone from the wilderness be stronger?”

“Practicing an unrealistic martial art in secret for decades won’t make you strong. My father said that some people might gain extraordinary luck and encounter a great opportunity...”

“What kind of opportunity?”

“A strange encounter. You might meet a reclusive master and become his disciple, or you might obtain a secret manual of a great master. You might also find a miraculous elixir... But the first one is the most realistic. Most manuals are not recorded normally but are encrypted or written in a way that makes it hard to understand their true meaning. Even if you understand the manual, it’s just a piece of paper until you have a solid foundation. And for an ordinary person, an elixir might just improve their health, not their martial arts. The first one is probably the most realistic.”

“Indeed, being noticed by a reclusive master and learning martial arts from him is probably the most realistic. But such a strong person wouldn’t hide, right?”

“No. Throughout history, many famous schools have appeared and disappeared. They might be descendants of those lost schools... Some high-level masters were expelled from famous schools, and some were even declared enemies of the martial world and had to hide. Mo Xiang probably has a sect, so he might be a half-disciple expelled from a famous school. After being expelled, he might have hidden in the mountains and practiced martial arts to the point of death...”

“But he said he wasn’t expelled...”

A small, simple pavilion in the mountains. At first glance, it looks like a charming, small house built by a wealthy family to enjoy the beautiful scenery. In front of the pavilion, the natural landscape is breathtaking. However, the aura surrounding the pavilion, which preserves this romance and charm, is far from ordinary. About 30 meters (90 meters) away from the pavilion, about 10 people are on guard, emitting a fierce gaze. The intangible aura they emit is so strong that even someone ignorant of martial arts can tell they are terrifying experts.

The way they openly display their aura indicates that they are not trained in underhanded tactics but have practiced their martial arts on the path of righteousness for direct confrontation. The easiest place to meet such people is probably on a martial arts competition stage. The fact that they are here suggests they are likely protecting someone. However, the problem is that they emit such an overwhelmingly strong aura, which is unusual for bodyguards.

But the biggest mystery is immediately apparent. Nearly half of them emit a suffocating demonic aura, while the others do not. The latter group exudes a purity that even righteous experts find hard to achieve, making the situation even more puzzling. It’s hard to understand why such incompatible people are gathered in one place, fiercely guarding a single pavilion.

Inside the pavilion, the atmosphere is simple yet dignified, reflecting the owner’s character. The interior is almost empty, with only a few essential items, such as a table and chairs. At first glance, they seem plain, but upon closer inspection, the craftsmanship of a master is evident.

On a small table, teacups are placed, and two young men are having a conversation while drinking tea.

“Ha ha, I didn’t realize it at first, but after talking to you every year for five years, I see that we have a lot in common.”

The young man sitting in front of him replied in a soft voice. His skin had an unusual purple hue, and he naturally emitted a faint demonic aura. If the villagers saw him, they would probably think they had encountered a ghost.

“Is that so? It all started when we met to deal with the aftermath of that incident... I didn’t realize so much time had passed. And I’m grateful that you helped eliminate those troublesome young men for us this time.”

“It’s nothing. You also helped me deal with those troublesome young men. It’s been difficult for our alliance to deal with those who look down on us. We can’t openly eliminate them like your sect, and if we secretly assassinate them, our alliance will be suspected... It’s a dilemma. By the way, I heard that Mo Xiang is still alive...”

The young man emitting the demonic aura’s expression darkened.

“It’s hard to believe, but it’s true.”

“Hmm, I thought we had completely eliminated him... What a pity.”

“Indeed. Now it’s like pulling the whiskers of a sleeping tiger. It’s a difficult situation.”

“It’s already heartbreaking that two of my granddaughters were killed by that evil man, and now he’s still alive... He’s a terrifyingly strong man. We need to eliminate him completely this time to prevent any future trouble.”

“True, but in the past, we could handle such things quietly...”

“Why? If we decide to eliminate him, we can have a trusted subordinate commit murder and rape, then blame it all on him, declare him a public enemy of the martial world, and have him executed. It would be simple.”

“It might have worked in the past, but now he’s too powerful.”

“Why? He always acts alone, doesn’t he? He did in the past, and that’s why...”

The young man emitting the demonic aura sighed heavily and said weakly, “I was foolish to send the Tianlang and Yanwang teams to eliminate him when he had lost his memory. They ended up siding with Mo Xiang.”

“That’s impossible...”

“It’s an inevitable result. If he had lost his memory, it would be different, but now that he has regained his memory, everything changes. He is still a member of our sect, and his position is still valid. If he brings up the sect’s laws, this won’t be a conflict between sects or a matter of dealing with a half-disciple. It will be a power struggle within the sect. Each subordinate will have the freedom to choose sides during the power struggle, and most will side with the stronger one. All power within the sect follows the law of the jungle. If he were to start a new sect like Zhang Yingjie did in the past, it would be simpler, but since he continues to claim his position as deputy leader of our sect, we can’t send high-level experts. Everyone knows he is stronger than me, so if he emphasizes this point, everyone will side with him.”

“Hmm, even the powerful demonic sect is facing difficulties due to the laws that have sustained its strength. Should the leader step in to handle this matter?”

“Can you do it? But the force he commands is so strong that it can crush a medium-sized sect in less than an hour. It’s hard to handle it with just the alliance’s power.”

“Hmm, I know that. We need a clear reason to persuade those fools to help. By the way, can we hire assassins to deal with him?”

“Are there assassins capable of handling such a high-level expert?”

“There’s a powerful assassin group these days. I’ll hire them. Since we have a common enemy, how about we split the cost?”

“Agreed. But which assassin group?”

“Probably the one you’re thinking of. I’ve heard that the Black Moon Society (黑月會) is the best among assassin groups these days.”

“Indeed, but are their skills as rumored...”

“Don’t worry. Information is the life of assassins. I’ve already commissioned the Kai Bang and Wu Ying Men to gather all the information, even about his armpit hair. With that much information, it will be hard to handle him secretly.”

“Hmm, then I’ll contact the Sanbi Team and pass on any useful information to you. But his behavior is unusual, so it might be hard to ambush him from the outside.”

“Behavior?”

“He usually moves slowly, but occasionally uses a light body technique to travel at an incredibly fast speed. Even if you chase him openly, you can’t catch him, so how can you follow him secretly?”

“Hmm, that’s a problem.”

“Also, according to his former subordinates, he almost never sleeps when he’s outside. But when he’s at his base, he sleeps for a couple of hours. So the only place to attack him is at his base.”

“Is there any weakness of his that we should know about?”

“Well... his specialty is a type of hard qi, but he prefers a type of sword control technique that requires less power. Therefore, attacking in a group won’t be very effective. He probably knows the Black Maitreya Body Technique (黑彌勒身功) of our sect, so it’s hard to deal a decisive blow with ordinary attacks. However, the Black Maitreya Body Technique disperses and dissipates impact from the inside, so weapon-based attacks might be more effective. But since it makes his blood vessels, meridians, and bones as hard as iron, it’s hard to guarantee. The chosen assassin will probably need a divine weapon that can easily cut through iron.”

“That’s true... When I saw his martial arts once, they were quite unique. Unlike the powerful palm and hard qi techniques of our sect, he uses a very practical sword technique that eliminates the enemy with minimal power.”

“That’s the biggest problem. Usually, when strong opponents rely on their power, they eventually run out of power and collapse if attacked in a group. But to make him collapse, we might have to lose half of our sect’s strength.”

“Really...”

“Probably. He’s a very practical person... Also, he has no obvious weaknesses that would force him to fight us head-on. If he continues to attack and retreat, his light body technique is well-known, so it’s hard to surround him. We can only chase him and wait for his power to run out.”

“Hmm, that’s true. How about using the same method as before?”

“The same method?”

“Does he have anyone he cares about?”

At that, the sect leader, who finally understood the other’s sinister intentions, slapped his knee and said, “Oh, right. I remember he has a foster daughter. We can take her as a hostage...”

“No, just a hostage won’t have a big effect. I heard your sect has a technique to control people’s minds?”

“Ha ha, you know a lot. We have the Demon Spirit Soul Capture Technique (魔靈攝魂沁法). We might be able to use it cleverly.”

“Ha ha ha, it’s not for a high-level expert but just a young girl. It