Wandering Swordsman |

The eight men clearly hadn't expected Shen Mo to be so formidable, and a hint of panic began to creep in. They had originally thought they could easily subdue this seemingly isolated and helpless young man, but they hadn't anticipated encountering such a powerful opponent.

Suddenly, Shen Mo seized an opening and launched a swift counterattack. His hands moved like lightning, unleashing a series of rapid strikes that caught the enemy off guard.

Within seconds, everyone was knocked to the ground by Shen Mo, clutching their wounds and groaning in pain. A bloody stench filled the courtyard; the wind howled and the leaves rustled, as if cheering on the battle.

Shen Mo coldly glanced at the people lying on the ground, then slowly walked to the stranger's side, squatted down, and stared directly into the man's eyes with piercing gaze. "Now can you tell me about 'Master Ma'?" Shen Mo's voice was calm and firm, carrying an unquestionable authority.

Upon seeing this, the man's face showed fear, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. "Young hero, I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness. Please spare my life," he said in a trembling voice. "If you want to know about Master Ma, you'll need to go to the Yingbin Restaurant and find the waiter."

Shen Mo frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing through his mind. "Aren't you his subordinates? How come you don't know anything about him?" he questioned seriously, his tone tinged with suspicion.

The others also looked up, their eyes filled with helplessness and fear. "Young hero, the waiter paid us a high price to guard Master Ma's door," one of them hurriedly explained. "But a few days ago, a group of people came looking for Master Ma, and then he suddenly fired us. We were just trying to make a living; we really didn't know anything about Master Ma."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo pondered to himself: these people certainly didn't seem to be Master Ma's trusted subordinates; they were more like temporary hired thugs. It seemed that to find Master Ma's true information, he had to find another way. He stood up, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings before finally settling on the unfamiliar man. "In that case, I'll believe you for now," Shen Mo said calmly. "However, if you dare to play any tricks, you'll bear the consequences."

The stranger nodded hurriedly, tears of gratitude streaming down his face: "Young hero, rest assured, I dare not hide anything further. But..." He hesitated for a moment, as if he had something else to say.

"Go on," Shen Mo urged.

"However... Master Ma is a cautious man, and we've never seen him enter the city, so very few people know his true identity or whereabouts," the stranger said in a low voice. "Besides the waiter at Yingbinlou, I'm afraid no one can provide more accurate information."

Seeing that he couldn't get any information out of him, Shen Mo felt he had to return to Yingbinlou and find the mysterious waiter again in order to uncover Master Ma's identity.

However, just as he was about to leave, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind. The waiter's unusual behavior when Zhao Xue was searching for her uncle that day had aroused his suspicion. Shen Mo remembered that when the waiter heard the name "Zhao Qingyun," a barely perceptible hint of tension flashed across his face. Could there be some connection between all of this?

Shen Mo took a deep breath, deciding to try again. He then slowly said, "Alright, I understand. But first, tell me, are there any teahouses in Liaocheng run by someone surnamed Zhao?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the surrounding air seemed to freeze. The men lying on the ground exchanged bewildered glances, a flicker of panic in their eyes. One of them hurriedly interjected, "Young hero, I grew up in Liaocheng, but there is absolutely no teahouse in Liaocheng owned by someone surnamed Zhao."

Shen Mo frowned slightly, sensing that things weren't so simple. He continued, "Do you know how many teahouses there are in Liaocheng?"

The man hesitated for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. In the end, he answered, "Young hero, as far as I know, there were originally three teahouses in Liaocheng, but one of them closed down after Master Ma arrived."

A sense of unease welled up in Shen Mo's heart. Master Ma's arrival had actually caused a teahouse to close down? There must be some secret hidden behind this. "What's the surname of the owner of that closed teahouse?" he pressed.

The man clearly hadn't expected Shen Mo to ask such detailed questions. He paused for a moment before answering, "The boss's surname is Tu, and his given name is Qingyun."

"Tu Qingyun..." Shen Mo repeated the name softly, countless possibilities flashing through his mind. The name sounded very familiar, yet somewhat strange. He suddenly remembered the name of his uncle that Zhao Xue had mentioned—Zhao Qingyun. Could there be some connection between the two?

At this moment, the strangers had already gotten up from the ground and knelt down, begging for mercy: "Young hero, that's all we know. Please spare our lives."

Shen Mo looked at them, pondering to himself. Although these people had committed evil deeds, they were, after all, merely employees. If he could get them to reform, they might provide some useful information for the future. "As long as you don't do evil again, I will spare you," he said loudly, his voice carrying an undeniable authority.

Upon hearing this, everyone said in unison, "Of course, of course, thank you, young hero. We will never dare to do it again."

Shen Mo nodded and turned to leave the courtyard. However, after taking only a few steps, a sense of foreboding suddenly welled up inside him. The expressions, tone of voices, and even the hint of resentment in their eyes made him uneasy. He knew that these people might not be genuinely repentant, but rather temporarily submitting to his pressure.

Sure enough, the moment Shen Mo disappeared from sight, the men who had been lying on the ground immediately stood up, whispering amongst themselves. Their eyes were filled with resentment and anger; they clearly had no intention of keeping their promise. One of them gritted his teeth and said, "Does this kid think we're really afraid of him? We must get our revenge!"

Shen Mo stood in the shadows not far away, listening quietly to their conversation, his anger rising. He had originally intended to give them a chance, but he hadn't expected them to be so unrepentant. At that moment, Shen Mo made a decision—he wouldn't allow these people to commit evil deeds and harm the innocent.

Just as those people were getting carried away, Shen Mo's figure suddenly appeared at the door, startling the eight of them. "As expected, I still can't let you off so easily," he said coldly, his voice as icy as ice.

Upon seeing this, everyone's faces turned deathly pale, and they all took several steps back, their eyes filled with fear. "Young hero, spare our lives!" someone hurriedly begged for mercy, but Shen Mo was no longer as lenient as before.

Shen Mo didn't use any lethal methods, but his movements were incredibly fast, each strike precise and accurate. In a flash, his hands moved like lightning, subduing all eight men within seconds. They lay on the ground, groaning in pain, each bone seeming to protest. Shen Mo's actions were clean and efficient; he hadn't taken their lives, yet he had rendered them incapable of further wrongdoing. These men would likely be unable to care for themselves from now on.

After doing all this, Shen Mo coldly surveyed the crowd, confirming that everyone was incapacitated. He sighed softly, a sense of helplessness washing over him. Then, he turned and left, his figure gradually disappearing beyond the courtyard. Originally, he had hoped these people would repent and reform, but now it seemed that reality often falls short of expectations.