Chapter 142: Who Could It Be?

The sudden sweep of sword qi opened a new battlefield.

Meanwhile, two figures inexplicably appeared on the scene, while a dark shadow vanished amidst the momentary distraction of the crowd.

In the fraction of a second, Zou Jiren perceived that the aura of the dark shadow was unusual, so he took a calculated risk, attempting to bypass Lin Mao’s defense to give chase.

However, how could Lin Mao allow him to have his way? Without a second word, he slashed with his sword to cut off Zou's path.

The moment the two of them clashed, the other two who had been glaring at each other could no longer remain idle. One of them was Mo Ruyuan, who had been tracking the disappearing dark shadow, and the other was a masked figure in bizarre attire, whose identity remained completely unknown.

The masked person seemed in no rush, moving with absolute ease amid the exchange of blows. In contrast, Mo Ruyuan, who was fighting him, lacked such patience.

He had chased the dark shadow all the way, only to find that the wretch was extremely cunning, leading him on wild goose chases in circles all over the mountain. Just as he was about to corner the target, the masked man had rudely barged in and ruined everything.

Even though Mo Ruyuan looked down upon Su He for publicly declaring himself the Seal-Breaker, since he had witnessed the murders at Lesser Zhou Village, he had no reason to turn a blind eye.

One thing was separate from another; the deceased were always innocent.

Yet this scoundrel had appeared out of nowhere and spoiled his good deed, so how could he not be furious?

Instantly, the long sword in his hand transformed into an inkstone, splashing forth a vast and majestic landscape of ink and wash. With a single strike, he dragged everyone into a realm of monochrome ink.

Even Old Four Xiao, who was deep in the woods, fell victim to the collateral damage.

Su Huizhi raised his hand to respond, cautiously guarding his surroundings, and asked, "Lord Xiao, what is the meaning of this?"

Old Four Xiao’s grip on his xiao flute suddenly tightened, his face as cold as frost and dark enough to drip water. "None of you make a single reckless move. If you lose your lives, don't blame Xiao for not warning you."

Hearing this, Su Huizhi and the others felt a chill run down their spines. "I... understood."

"Yes."

"We—we understand."

Old Four Xiao did not turn his head, nor did he reply. His eyes remained fixed dead on the battlefield.

Mo Ruyuan, meanwhile, lunged fiercely with his sword at the masked figure, unleashing rolling waves of overwhelming sword qi.

The masked man neither dodged nor retreated; with a single palm and a flick of his sleeve, he enveloped the incoming blade. In the blink of an eye, he dissolved Mo Ruyuan's sword qi, scattering it like pouring water in all directions.

This development brought utter misery to Lin Mao, who had been single-mindedly intent on eliminating Zou Jiren. It was simply his bad luck that he took the brunt of eight parts of Mo Ruyuan's sword qi.

The remaining two parts were shattered into fragments, with one part striking Zou Jiren.

This instantly relieved Zou Jiren of his dire predicament. A towering rage surged in Lin Mao's heart; with a violent chop of his sword, he unleashed his ultimate technique first upon Mo Ruyuan, then turned to fight Zou Jiren in a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering battle.

Mo Ruyuan had been shocked that his technique was so easily dissolved by the masked man, and while he was still stunned, Lin Mao's lethal blow arrived, instantly fueling his fury.

He thought to himself that any stray cat or dog now dared to challenge him.

Thus, while evading the masked man's palm wind, his footwork shifted like the wind. Instantly, a rain of blades shot down upon Lin Mao's head, while a bottomless abyss opened up beneath his feet.

Even though Lin Mao reacted quickly, he still sustained several cuts.

Just as he steadied himself, Zou Jiren's lethal blow arrived from behind. Caught off guard in countering the attack, Lin Mao, who had previously held the upper hand, was gradually forced into a disadvantageous position.

Seeing this, Old Four Xiao realized things were turning critical. Suddenly grabbing Su Huizhi’s waistband and yanking hard, at the very last critical second, he pulled the man away from beneath Zou Jiren's sword, while simultaneously withdrawing the ink-wash landscape.

Lin Mao lowered his gaze to look at his own waist, and in an instant, laid a sword flat across Old Four Xiao’s neck. "Who the hell asked you to meddle in other people's business?

Did you not see that Lin was in the midst of eliminating his enemy? Hmm?"

Old Four Xiao lowered his eyes to look at the blade, pulled back his waistband, and quietly returned it to Su Huizhi. Using two fingers, he gently tried to push the sword away, but the very next moment, Lin Mao slammed it back against his neck.

His smile froze instantly, and cold sweat streamed down his temples.

"What is Brother Lin doing?" he stammered. "We are all brothers here; it looks terribly bad for others to see this. Whatever we need to discuss, let's talk it over slowly when we return. Why resort to knives and swords?

Acting like this, aren't you making a laughingstock of yourself?"

With that, he tried once more to push the sword away, but the blade remained completely unmoving.

"Cut the damn nonsense with me, Old Four Xiao! What on earth is your motive for stopping Lin from taking revenge?"

"Brother Lin? Brother Lin, you truly have misunderstood Xiao. Do you know who the master of that ink-wash landscape is? If you rashly made a move against him, Xiao's action was entirely to save your life."

"Listening to your implication, you've concluded that Lin Mao is inferior in skill to others? That's easily solved. Since you, Lord Xiao, possess such great talent, feel free to find someone else to cooperate with.

As for me, Lin Mao, I don't give a damn." Raging with fury, Lin Mao withdrew his sword and turned to leave.

How could Old Four Xiao let him walk away so easily? He exchanged a glance with Su Huizhi, who immediately led his men to block Lin's path.

"Do you think mere trash like you can stop me?" A cold sneer instantly surfaced on Lin Mao's lips, the howling murderous intent causing his robes to snap and crackle in the wind.

Su Huizhi said, "Please calm your anger, Pavilion Master Lin. It's only Zou Jiren—a mere grasshopper, is he truly worth keeping on your mind?

Wouldn't that be degrading yourself?"

Old Four Xiao also persuaded, "Indeed. If we want to kill Zou Jiren, we have plenty of methods, but there is no need to throw away our own lives to accompany him."

This time, Lin Mao finally took his words to heart and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Brother Lin doesn't know this, but the wielder of that inkstone and sword has an extraordinary background. Given his identity, we cannot afford to offend him in the slightest at present."

"Explain."

"If Xiao guesses correctly, that person originates from the Spring and Autumn Academy of Letters, and is none other than the Third Resident, Mo Ruyuan—one of the Three Masters of Letters, alongside 'Beggar of Letters' Zi Wuyi and 'Ink Brush, Broken Gut' Shi Duanchang."

"Mo Ruyuan?" Lin Mao stood frozen in place. He had indeed heard of Mo Ruyuan's reputation, though he had never crossed paths with him. Recalling the unfathomable rain of blades and the abyss beneath his feet, he couldn't help lowering his gaze to look at the wound on his chest.

Was this... truly Mo Ruyuan?

Seeing his reaction, Old Four Xiao knew his words had taken effect, and continued, "It is not that Xiao looks down upon Brother Lin, but rather that Mo Ruyuan himself cannot be underestimated, and he has the Spring and Autumn Academy of Letters backing him up.

If something truly goes wrong, wouldn't it be Brother Lin who suffers the loss?"

Lin Mao turned around, stared straight into Old Four Xiao's eyes, and said, "Assuming you have a point, what do we do next?"

"Naturally, we return, and then we plan our next move carefully." Seeing Lin Mao's gaze remain probing, Xiao quickly added, "Rest assured, whatever Xiao has promised, it will definitely count.

With Zou Jiren following Baili Suhe, are you still worried he won't die?"

Lin Mao remained silent for a long while before finally speaking, "I'll let him off easy this time."

Old Four Xiao chuckled and said, "Brother Lin is a true hero. Let him enjoy a few more days of freedom. Let's go." If they delayed, he feared it would become difficult to leave at all.

It wasn't that he feared trouble, but rather that there was no need to lock horns just yet.

Lin Mao glanced at him sideways, naturally aware of what the man was scheming. Yet upon second thought, he realized Old Four Xiao’s concerns were not without reason.

A gentleman takes his revenge ten years later; though he was no gentleman, as long as he stayed alive, there would be endless years to slowly plot his revenge. Zou Jiren's head belonged to him, sooner or later.

With that, he cast a final backward glance at the monochrome ink-world, and in the blink of an eye, retreated cleanly alongside Old Four Xiao and the others.

Mere moments later, Suhe arrived at the exact spot, only to narrowly miss Old Four Xiao and Lin Mao.

Raising his gaze for a split second, his toes tapped the ground, and he shot directly into the ink realm.

Zou Jiren had intended to take advantage of Lin Mao's departure to leave as well and investigate the trail of the dark shadow, but he was pinned down by the masked figure and unable to break free for a moment.

When Suhe entered, he happened to witness the scene of Zou Jiren being repelled. He hurried forward in a flash of motion and caught the man, steadying him firmly.

"I've got you," Suhe said.

Before Zou Jiren could reply, Suhe drew his sword, Minshu, and unleashed a strike: "A Single Point of Spiritual Qi, Uprightness of the Heavenly Gangs!"

An aura of vast righteousness and pure uprightness descended upon the masked figure in the blink of an eye.

The lingering momentum of the sparkling sword light swept forth like a fierce whirlwind, instantly overwhelming the opponent and leaving him scrambling to respond.

Mo Ruyuan hurried over to Suhe's side, his attitude thoroughly hostile. "What are you doing here? My affairs require no interference from you."

Suhe deflected a movement with his sword, pressed the attack further, and merely dropped a single sentence: "Pure coincidence."

Following that, he launched a storm-like barrage of attacks against the masked man. Only the constant sound of clashing steel could be heard; the figures of the combatants were moving too fast to be clearly distinguished.

Occasional sparks flew, scattering in all directions like nimble spirit snakes.

Suddenly, the two combatants separated. Looking at them, neither flushed red nor ran out of breath.

A moment later, a tear suddenly opened across Suhe's shoulder. Meanwhile, the masked figure's veil suddenly shattered into two halves. Just as his true face was about to be revealed, he flicked his sleeve, threw up a block, and abruptly vanished without a trace.

Seeing this, Mo Ruyuan quickly withdrew the ink-wash landscape and dashed out for dozens of miles. Yet after searching everywhere, he found nothing.

He could only return in sullen disappointment...

Over on the other side, Suhe swiftly swept over to Zou Jiren’s side and asked, "How is it? Are you badly hurt?"

Zou Jiren shook his head, a sudden warmth filling his heart. He put away his sword and said, "Just superficial flesh wounds, nothing serious.

Why did you come here? Is everything alright over at Brocade Brocade Palace?"

"Nothing major, except that the corpses at Lesser Zhou Village were burned, so we simply need to find other evidence," Suhe replied. Turning his head just then, he caught sight of the blazing fury in Mo Ruyuan’s eyes.

Before Suhe could even speak, Mo Ruyuan launched into a blistering, head-to-toe tirade. Fortunately, Suhe possessed a mild temper and chose not to bicker with him.

Once Mo Ruyuan's anger had mostly subsided, Suhe cupped his fists and said, "Since Your Excellency has returned safely, Suhe will no longer intrude. Farewell!"

"Hold on."

Suhe asked, "Does Your Excellency have further business?"

"Why did you appear here? Speak, are you and that person in cahoots?" How else could it be that you arrived neither too early nor too late, but the moment you crossed a couple of blows with him, he suddenly vanished?

Suhe looked toward Zou Jiren and said, "This person is a friend of mine, who has been running about on my behalf regarding my affairs.

I was worried for his safety, which is why I tracked my friend here.

As for Your Excellency's accusation, please forgive me for refusing to accept it."

With that, he turned to Zou Jiren and said, "Let's return."

To everyone's surprise, Mo Ruyuan suddenly lunged from behind with a sword strike. At the critical moment of crisis, Minshu broke free from Suhe's grip and autonomously blocked the lethal blow.

"A fine sword, though unfortunately it serves the wrong master."

Suhe turned around, gestured for Zou Jiren to step back a bit, and then looked at Mo Ruyuan. "Does Your Excellency's action stem from personal grievance, or does it represent the Spring and Autumn Academy of Letters?"

"What do you mean?" The moment his sect was mentioned, Mo Ruyuan’s arrogance deflated by a good thirty percent.

Though he was accustomed to acting lawlessly and fearlessly on ordinary days, he still had to restrain himself somewhat in the presence of his sect.

"Nothing much. Personal grievances are borne personally. If this is the intent of Sect Master Qiushui, then naturally I must ask my Senior Brother to pay his respects to your esteemed sect on my behalf."

"You..."

"What about me?"

"Never mind." Mo Ruyuan turned his face away and simultaneously withdrew his sword.

His descent down the mountain had been a purely personal endeavor. Having heard the sect master's strict injunction that everyone must avoid stirring up trouble—especially concerning the matter of the Seal-Breaker—he had slipped away in defiance.

To have Senior Brother Feng involved by notifying the sect master? Wasn't that practically inviting someone to come capture him?

"I am aware that Your Excellency has long held prejudices against me, and I do not expect Your Excellency to understand. But for the sake of the friendly relations between our two sects, can we not sit down and speak calmly?

If Your Excellency still harbors doubts in your heart, you might as well accompany me to the inn. Suhe will naturally clear up any confusion for you."

"No need. I have nothing to discuss with a self-serving person like you. Farewell, and may we never meet again."

With those words, he spun around and left.

Watching him go, Zou Jiren turned to Suhe and said, "Why are you being so polite with him? Didn't you see how high up in the air he holds his nose?"

Suhe smiled and said, "This person's abilities are not bad; he merely holds some misunderstandings about me. Moreover, his fundamental nature is not malicious, so there is no need to pick a fight with him."

"You certainly take things lightly. What are your thoughts on that masked figure just now? I noticed his attacks were fierce, but his intent didn't seem to be in the fight itself.

Saying he was stalling Mo Ruyuan—it actually looked much more like he was waiting for you to arrive."

Suhe suddenly paused in his footsteps, stared at Zou Jiren for a moment, and nodded. "Your intuition is correct. I had the exact same feeling."

Only... who on earth was that masked person?